Judgement Goes Both Ways
by missy7293
Summary: Daryl had spent his entire life being judged by others...but has he been guilty of the same thing? He takes a job in a community shelter and learns that his past can actually help others, and they can help him too in the process. He might just possibly have met someone who loves him for him, but he has to accept who she is before he can allow himself happiness.
1. Chapter 1

**Brand new story- Hope you give it a chance.**

Daryl Dixon was sitting alone at the bar watching his brother make a fool of himself as usual. Merle never knew when to shut up, and the dumbass was telling a story loud enough for every person in a fifty-foot radius to hear him. He was telling a story of how he and "Darylina" were avoiding the cops when they were kids. They had been riding stolen motorbikes on an old farmer's property and Merle had convinced Daryl that it was OK to ride through the cornfields. They had damaged a good amount of the crop and the farmer had caught the brothers in the act. The final result was both brothers getting away when Merle crashed his bike through a fence allowing a herd of cows out of their confines and putting a barrier between the boys and the cop chasing after them. Merle thought it was hysterical, but Daryl on the other hand felt nothing but regret. That farmer had worked hard, and those crops might have meant the difference between the old man putting food on his table or starving. Stories like these were just a drop in the bucket of all the trouble that Merle had gotten himself into, usually taking Daryl along with him. Daryl was trying hard to get himself out of the misery he lived in with his convict brother, but no matter how hard he tried, Merle always seemed to pull him into something.

As Daryl nursed his beer he was interrupted by a female taking a seat beside him. He couldn't help but notice her ample cleavage and the vast amount of body glitter covering her chest. "Hey handsome, you looking for some company?" She asked.

Daryl just grunted a response. "I'm Kim, haven't I seen you before?" She asked in a voice that was way to sweet for his liking.

"Doubt it." He replied.

"No, I have. I work at the Kitty Cat club. You and your brother, Merle, I've seen you there. You're brother tried to buy you a lap dance, but you refused." She said, letting out a giggle.

Once again, Daryl gave a grunt in response. He was not happy that this chick was trying to make conversation with him and even more unhappy that she was bringing up the fact that he had refused the lap dance. It wasn't that Daryl didn't appreciate an attractive female, but he preferred women who didn't appear to have at least three STD's.

"What, you can't talk? I bet I could make you say a word or two." She purred. Kim placed her hand on Daryl's thigh and his body stiffened with the contact. This was not how he wanted to spend his Friday night. Daryl ignored the contact and lifted his beer to the sleazy bartender Tomas, giving the man a signal that he wanted another refill. The guy looked at the blonde sitting beside Daryl and asked "You taking care of her too?"

Daryl looked at her "If I buy you a drink will you leave me alone?"

It was then that Daryl caught the scent of something heavenly. It was unlike anything he had smelled before and he turned to his left and noticed an incredibly beautiful brunette taking the seat beside him. She had long chocolate brown hair, big brown eyes, and olive skin. She was wearing a red blouse that came up to her neck, but her shoulders were bare and perfect. She had silver earrings and a silver bracelet that glistened on her skin from the soft light of the bar. He also noticed her form fitting black jeans tucked into her knee high black boots and found himself looking away so he wouldn't get caught staring. Unfortunately, as he turned his head to avoid the beauty on his left, the bimbo on his right reached her arm up and placed it on Daryl's shoulder.

"Come on honey, let's blow this joint…and maybe that won't be the only thing getting blown tonight" She snarked.

The brunette sitting beside him heard what the slutty blonde said and turned to see what was going on beside her, and saw how much the handsome guy beside her tensed and grimaced when he was touched and propositioned by the little tramp. Without thinking she intervened "Damnit you son of a bitch…I get here just a little late and you are already flirting with another woman."

Daryl's eyes widened when he realized the brunette was talking to him…and he was speechless as to how to respond.

"What? Cat got your tongue? And who are you Blondie? Why do you have your hands all over my man?" She asked in a menacing voice, trying hard to hold back the laughter of seeing how scared the blonde suddenly looked.

"I…I…I didn't know he was here with someone. It's just a misunderstanding. I'll just get my drink and go." She said quickly vacating the barstool that she had been sitting in.

Daryl just sat there dumbfounded.

"You're welcome." The brunette said as she reached in her jacket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes making for the door so she could grab a smoke.

Tomas made his way over to Daryl and nodding towards the brunette "That is one fine piece of ass, I wouldn't mind giving it to her good."

"You wish man, she's way out of your league." Daryl told the greasy Latino.

"We'll see who she ends up with tonight." Tomas said, giving Daryl a toothy grin.

Daryl suddenly needed to get some air and he quickly headed out the door to grab a smoke. He caught the brunette digging around in her purse looking a bit frustrated. Daryl pulled out his own cigarette and lit it.

"Hey, could I bother you for a light?" The brunette asked. Daryl gave his usual grunt and handed her his lighter.

"Thanks, I needed this. It's been a rough damn day." She said letting out a sigh and handing back the lighter to Daryl.

Daryl just stood there quietly. He looked at the brunette and mumble "Thanks for what ya did earlier. I couldn't get the little whore to leave me alone."

"She an ex or something?" The girl asked.

"Nah, she's a stripper at the Kitty Cat club. She's more my brother's type than my own." Lord, Daryl couldn't believe he just volunteered that information.

"I'm Riki, glad I could be of assistance." She said in a teasing voice.

"Daryl. Ain't Riki a boy's name?" He responded.

She laughed, "I get that a lot, but do I look like a boy to you? Look, This is gonna sound cheesy, but do you come here often? I've never stopped in to this place before, but I kinda like it."

"I've been here enough. My brother seems to like it and I usually get stuck driving him around 'cause he is normally too fucked up at the end of the night to function." Daryl told her. Once again, why did he keep saying this kind of shit? This woman didn't need to know about his fucked up relationship with his brother.

"Yeah, my brother is a pain in the ass too. Are you the older or younger brother?" She asked.

"Younger by eight years. How bout you?" He asked her attempting to have a normal conversation.

"Older by eight years." She said.

"Ain't you a little out of place in a dive like this? There aren't many people that look like you that come into this bar." Daryl asked, trying to figure out how she ended up here.

"Well it beats the hell out of hanging in a fucking meat market martini bar. That's just not my scene. I like to hang out in places with real people, not a bunch of fucking snobs." She told him. He laughed at the fact that she swore like a man. She reeked of class, but her mouth (and those gloriously luscious lips) let him know that she definitely had a rebellious side to her.

"Well you definitely stand out in a place like this." Daryl told her.

"Are you judging me?" She asked almost sounding annoyed.

"Nah, ain't nothing like that, just stating the facts. What would ya do if you saw a guy like me in one of your 'Martini bars'?" He replied quickly. He was pretty sure that she had sized him up too.

"Introduce myself and not judge you. You would be a breath of fresh air in a place like that. So much nicer than the suits and stiff linen shirts I'm used to seeing." She told him without hesitation.

Daryl picked up that she was different than what he would have expected. He was pulling his final drag on his cigarette when she surprised him with a question.

"Do you wanna play pool with me? I totally suck at it, but I like to play." She told him honestly.

"Yeah, I ain't got nothing better to do." He told her, giving her a slight facial expression that could almost pass as a smile.

Daryl was nervous being around Riki. She wasn't like the usual girls he was subjected too. She would speak her mind, and she seemed to pick up on everything around her. The way those black jeans clung to those long legs turned Daryl into a shitty pool player as well. However, the view was worth the distraction.

As she struggled to make a single ball in one of the pockets on the table, Daryl took pity on her and went over to show her what she was doing wrong with her shot. He leaned in behind her and stood so his left leg was between her legs. "You gotta do it like this." He told her, catching that glorious scent of her perfume.

He continued to correct her posture, gently turning her hips with his hands and then placing her hands in the proper position on the pool cue. "When you want the ball go to the left, you aim for the right with the cue ball. If you want it to go to the right, then you aim for the left. The dots on the side of the table are places you aim for so that you can bank the ball and change the direction it rolls. Ain't no one ever showed you this before?" He said letting out something between a laugh and a fake huff.

"Nope, no one ever bothered to show me and I never bothered to ask." She said in a deadpan voice.

"Try it." He told her.

She did as Daryl showed her, and managed to actually make a ball into the pocket. Excitedly she jumped up and down drawing the attention of Merle and his buddies not that far away.

One of Merle's buddies made a comment to Merle "Looks like your brother has found some cooze for the night. Bout damn time the little faggot hooked up with something."

"He'll chicken out, he always does. It don't take much to figure out she's out of his league." Merle said curious as to how Daryl was spending time with the incredibly hot woman. One thing was for sure and that was Merle didn't like it. Anyone who distracted Daryl from his loyalty to Merle was a problem in Merle's eyes. Merle stared in disgust as his brother almost had a smile on his face.

"Darylina…Get over here I need to talk to ya." Merle bellowed across the bar. Daryl heard him and rolled his eyes in frustration.

"I take it that's your brother?" Riki asked him.

"Yeah, Let me go see what he wants. Why don't you go get us a couple of drinks." Daryl said handing her a twenty-dollar bill.

"Keep your money Daryl, I've got this." She said.

"Nah, just take my damn money and get what you want. We got one more game to go and you're getting pretty good at this. Maybe if I ply you with some booze you won't beat me in the next game." He said.

"I'm a long way from beating you, but I'll go get us some drinks." She said, giving him a pat on the shoulder, and feeling him tense up at her touch.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to do that." She told him as she walked over to the bar. Daryl swore to himself "Fucker, can't even handle the touch of a woman."

…

Merle took one half of a second to start ranting at Daryl "What the fuck you doing there boy? That bitch is way out of your pay grade."

"Damnit Merle, stay the fuck out of my business. Besides, we're just playing pool. She's the one who asked me." Daryl retorted.

"You listen to me boy, you go and have your fun, but all she is doing is looking at you as a boy toy. Don't go and get yourself fucking attached. I know you Darylina…you're sweet and she's gonna use you up like a sponge. When she finds out what you are, she will drop you like a bad habit." Merle chastised.

Daryl was trying hard to ignore what Merle was saying, and caught himself watching Riki at the bar. Movement had caught his attention as he saw her purse fall off the bar and she reached down to pick it up. That's when he saw something strange. It appeared that Tomas had slipped something into her drink and that caused Daryl to completely block out whatever it was Merle was saying.

"Boy, are you paying attention to what I'm saying? We need you tonight to drive for us…we got a job. If you are gonna have some fun, do it and get it over with." Merle warned.

Daryl picked up bits and pieces to what Merle was saying. "I ain't gonna do shit for you tonight. If you got a job, then you handle it, but leave me out."

Merle continued to bitch at him, but he was too occupied on what was happening to Riki. She stumbled a bit and Tomas made his way around the bar to help her right herself. She raised her hand to tell him she was fine, but she seemed to be having difficulty keeping her head up. Daryl attempted to make his way over to the bar to help the woman, but Merle grabbed him before he could leave.

"I'm warning ya boy, don't fuck with me tonight. I need ya to help out on this. It's gonna pay well and then you don't have to look for those shit jobs fixing peoples bikes. Got it?" Merle said.

Daryl grunted at his brother, not really processing what Merle was saying. Instead he was focused on Riki as Tomas was leading her away from the bar towards the back of the club. "I got something I gotta take care of." Daryl said.

Merle noticed Daryl making his way towards the back of the club where Tomas and Riki had just headed and he let out a menacing laugh. "Looks like your bitch found someone else to scratch her itch. Told ya boy, she's out of your league."

"It ain't like that…so shut the hell up." Daryl warned as he stormed off. He didn't trust Tomas as far as he could throw him and in the very short period of time that he had known Riki, she didn't seem the type that would head to the back room with the greasy bartender.

Daryl reached the back office just in time to find Tomas pushing Riki against the desk while he was telling her to "Just Relax, this is gonna feel so good to you baby." He was in the process of sliding off her jeans and pushing up her shirt when Daryl heard her let out an audible "No." But her body wouldn't respond.

Daryl rushed into the room and pulled Tomas off of her. He already had his pants down around his ankles and it made it easy for Daryl to throw him off balance. A confused and obviously drugged Riki mumbled out a "thank you" and Daryl rapidly pushed her shirt down and slid her jeans back up. He then roughly grabbed her and led her out of the office, the entire time Tomas was screaming profanities as he struggled to gather himself and go after Daryl.

Daryl made his way to the bar and grabbed Riki's purse and jacket and led her outside. Merle was calling out to him as he helped her walk out of the bar, making idle threats the entire time. Daryl was trying desperately to get Riki to talk to him "Hey Riki…you with me girl?" He asked.

She mumbled something unintelligible.

"Which car is yours? I'll take ya home." He said. He had taken his motorcycle to the bar tonight and Merle had the truck. With the snit Merle was in it was better that he didn't take the truck to take Riki home, and the bike wasn't an option. She wouldn't be able to hold on, so he surmised the best thing to do was to take her home in her vehicle, and then have Merle come pick him up.

Barely able to stand she was able to tell him that she had a Lincoln Navigator (of course she did…it was by far the nicest car in the parking lot). "I can't remember where I live." She said nearly in tears. Her head was fuzzy and nothing around her was making sense.

"Hey calm down, don't get yourself worked up Riki. I can get your address from your license." He told her, attempting to calm the very confused woman.

He awkwardly rummaged through her purse and found her wallet. It didn't go unnoticed that her purse and wallet matched and Daryl had recognized the brand as 'Chanel'. Merle had once stole a shipment of designer handbags and sold them on the street. Daryl remembered that 'Chanel' was one of the brands that women wanted the most. However, Riki definitely didn't strike him as the type that would buy her handbag on the street. She didn't volunteer a lot about herself, but it was obvious to Daryl that she came from money, and based on the look of things, a lot of it.

He checked the address and knew it as high rise condo complex on Peachtree Street. Yeah, she definitely had money. The Navigator was by far the nicest vehicle he had ever driven and he wondered what it would be like to have this type of car as your everyday transportation. He shook those thoughts quickly from his head and allowed himself to come back to reality. Daryl Dixon would never know what it was to live a life of luxury. He knew his status in life, and having money wasn't in the cards for him.

He drove her to the Northern Atlanta address and found her parking card. He pulled into the underground garage and then shook Riki (who was now asleep) awake.

"What floor are you on?" He asked.

"Thirty. You have to swipe the card." She managed to get out before drifting off again.

Daryl shook her again "Look, you need to wake up so I can take you up to your condo. It's gonna look bad if a guy like me is carrying you in a place like this."

Riki forced her eyes open and tried to open her door to get out of the car. She attempted one step and her legs gave out underneath her, but Daryl managed to catch her before she hit the ground. She forced herself to stand up and reached up to take a hold of Daryl's shoulder so she could stand upright.

"I got ya, just try to look semi-conscious. I don't need your neighbors calling the cops thinking I'm a rapist or something." He told her.

"OK" she managed. He walked her to the elevator and swiped the card allowing them access to the thirtieth floor. Shit, the building only had thirty floors meaning she was in the penthouse. Yeah, she was loaded and way out of Daryl's league.

When they got up to her condo he found her keys and opened the door. One foot inside and he was left breathless. Hardwood floors, marble counter tops, leather furniture, cherry wood dining table, and a marble fireplace were just a few of the items he noticed. Everything was immaculate and decorated in a modern style. Daryl had never crossed the threshold of anything so unbelievable in his life. My God, who was this woman and why the hell had she even allowed Daryl to grace her presence?

Riki seemed to be gaining a little bit more lucidity. Daryl helped her make it to her room where she promptly face planted into her bed. The bed was so big and fluffy it reminded Daryl of a cocoon. He looked at Riki and could tell she was fast asleep. Not wanting her to be cold, he pulled the sides of her comforter up around her, wrapping her up like a fajita. He pulled off her boots and then shut the light off in the room, entering the main area of the condo.

Daryl took a second to admire Riki's home. There were large windows all around that gave her a view of the Atlanta Skyline. The kitchen and dining area were streamlined and decorated in a modern style, as was everything else in the condo. Cream-colored leather furniture made up the living area, and one wall was adorned with a cream color marble fireplace. He noticed everything was decorated in cream, red, and black and nothing was out of place. Daryl spun around and noticed that there was a glass door that led to an outside balcony. He needed a smoke and this would afford him a perfect opportunity.

Daryl found a comfortable chair and ashtray out on the balcony and made himself comfortable. The breeze was picking up and the sky illuminated with a lightening flash. A storm was brewing and a loud clap of thunder confirmed it wouldn't take long for it to be upon him. Within a few moments the sky split open and it began to pour, but he was still dry as he sat covered by another floor above him on the balcony.

He had a dilemma. Originally he had planned on calling Merle to come and pick him up after he had made sure that Riki was home safely, but there was no way he would allow Merle to know where specifically in Atlanta he was. If Merle found out that Riki lived in the upscale part of town, then he would push Daryl into trying to get close to her. Merle was not above scamming and theft, and if he saw this place, then he would see an opportunity to make a quick buck. There wasn't any way Daryl would expose Riki to that.

As he was deep in thought, he noticed Riki's bedroom light had come on and he quickly stubbed out his cigarette and made his way back into the condo to make sure she was OK. The sound of retching let him know that she was not doing well. He entered her room and found her throwing up in a trashcan beside her bed.

"Hey, let me help you." He told her as he helped her up off the bed and led her into the bathroom. Growing up with Merle, you learned to get used to puking.

He assisted her to the bathroom and she dropped to her knees and continued to throw up into the toilet. She was sick and sweating profusely.

"I'm so fucking hot…I gotta get out of these clothes." She said as she began to rip them off her body. Daryl wasn't sure if she was completely lucid at the moment or not, but before he could respond she had stripped down to her white lace panties. Her breasts were fully exposed, but that wasn't what caught Daryl's attention. It was the beautiful tattoo that stretched from her upper left shoulder all the way down to her right hip. It was an intricate design that included a cherry blossom and words of encouragement. There were other details intertwined, but he couldn't make out the exact designs. He was certain of one thing though, and that was that her ink meant something specific too her. Maybe she had demons in her past as well. Daryl had his own ink, and he knew what his demons represented. He shook those thoughts from his mind and focused back on the sick woman in front of him.

"Whoa girl, you can't just get naked like that in front of me. It ain't proper." He said, not quite sure why he did. Daryl Dixon was far from a proper gentleman. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her and then wet a washcloth with cool water and began to run it over her neck and shoulders.

"Thank you." She said.

"Is it helping?" He asked. She simply nodded.

After he seemed to have her feeling somewhat better, he helped her back towards her bed. She stopped and asked him if he would grab her some shorts and T-shirt from her dresser drawer. She told him specifically which one, and he obliged her request. Even going so far as to help her slip into them. He pushed back the covers on the bed for her and helped her get settled again.

Once he was sure she was OK, he went to leave the room, debating on what he should do now.

"Daryl?" He heard her whisper.

"Hmmm?" He replied.

"Make yourself comfortable in one of the guest rooms, I'll take you back to your bike in the morning. Thanks for helping me." She told him.

"Ain't no problem." He told her. He shut off her light and partially closed her bedroom door, leaving it open just enough so he could hear her if she needed him. He took a look around the condo and spotted the two guestrooms. He made his way to the one closest to the master bedroom and turned on the light. There was a high four poster bed and at this point Daryl was so tired, he didn't care if it was a flat metal slab. He slipped off his vest and boots and pulled back the covers. The sheets were made of some billion thread count Egyptian cotton (something Daryl had NEVER experienced) and he let himself relish in the cool feeling of the fabric against his body. His last thoughts were of a naked Riki before he relaxed and let the sleep take him.

…

Riki woke with a pounding in her head and flipping in her stomach. To be quite honest she was unsure about all the events of the previous evening, but she was aware enough to know that she had invited Daryl to stay in the guestroom. He had been kind enough to get her home safely and he had also taken the time to take care of her when she was sick a few hours earlier. Then she remembered how stupid she had been when she felt the need to strip off all of her clothing in front of the man. What must he think of her doing something so blatant? One thing was for sure, he could have definitely taken advantage of her and he didn't…that spoke volumes in her opinion of him.

Convinced she was at least properly covered wearing a pair of gray athletic shorts and a pink v-neck T-shirt she got herself out of bed and stood to take on the day. It was only eight-thirty in the morning, so she at least hadn't slept the day away. She made her way into the main living area of the open floor plan and could hear Daryl lightly snoring in the guestroom. As late as he stayed up he must have been exhausted. She felt bad that he had kind of been stuck with her all night. He must not have been able to contact his brother to come pick him up. She made her way towards the second bedroom and pulled the door shut, careful to not wake him.

The balcony was still wet from the previous evening's thunderstorms, but the chairs were still dry. Riki had made a cup of coffee and was outside listening to some soft music and smoking a cigarette. This was her favorite part of the day, time she had to herself. She looked across the skyline and admired the beauty of downtown Atlanta. This far up you couldn't see or hear all the problems that plagued the city. Instead it was quiet and serene.

Riki's mind wandered to the man she hardly knew that was asleep in her guest bed. He was ruggedly handsome, yet quiet. She knew absolutely nothing about him other than the fact that he had a brother, was good at pool, and rode a motorcycle. That being said, he obviously had respect for others, or at least her. He had saved her from a heinous crime that could have occurred. She couldn't remember all the details of what had happened at the bar, but she remembered being in a situation with a man that she was not comfortable with. Daryl had intervened and made sure she was OK and as a result he was stuck here all night.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the sliding door opened and Daryl walked out bare foot with a cup of coffee in his hand as well. He must have discovered the coffeepot. His hair was disheveled and his eyes were puffy from a lack of sleep, but to Riki, he was still a very attractive man. His complete masculinity was rare these days when all she seemed to be exposed to were metrosexual men that seemed to take more time getting ready than she did, and she knew she was relatively high maintenance.

"Morning." He grumbled to her.

"Well good morning to you Daryl. Look, I'm so sorry for what happened last night. I hope you didn't feel obligated to do any of this for me. I really appreciate you getting me out of trouble with that sleazy guy though. I'm not sure what happened. I must not have eaten enough and drank more than I thought." She told him.

"Nah, he slipped something in your drink. When your handbag got knocked to the floor it was him that did it, and when you reached down to pick it up he took advantage. I tried to get to ya and tell ya not to drink it, but my asshole brother was too busy keeping me from ya. I'm sorry for that." Daryl said, looking down at his feet with guilt etched in his features.

Riki saw that guilt and she leaned over towards Daryl and placed her hand on his shoulder. She felt him instantly tense up, but after a second or two he relaxed. "Look, you don't have to apologize. It wasn't your fault and you were kind enough to look out after me and make sure I got home OK. Plus, you were there when I got sick last night and that's not for the faint of heart. If you hadn't reacted at the bar…I don't want to think what would have happened." She said, thinking how close she had been to being sexually assaulted by the greasy bartender.

"I reckon we see things differently, but whatever. So tell me something and don't bullshit me, how the fuck are you living like this? This is prime Atlanta Real estate, and I know for a fact how much these things go for." Daryl asked. He wanted to know who this woman was.

Riki let out a laugh. "You don't pull any punches do ya? Let's just say I've been smart with my money and made some good investments."

Daryl gave her a look that let her know he didn't completely believe her, but he didn't push. "What do ya do for a living?" He asked.

"I work at a community shelter for orphans, troubled teens, and abused women. It's sort of my passion. What about you? What do you do?" She asked.

Daryl bristled at the question, but since he had asked her first he felt obligated to answer. "I'm sort of between jobs right now. I've been picking up sporadic work fixing people's bikes. I've done a lot of things in the past like electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and HVAC type work. I like to work with my hands." He told her.

"Hmmm." She said out loud.

"What's 'hmmm'?" He asked.

"Look, I know I just met you, but we are desperately looking for a Maintenance Manager at the shelter. It doesn't pay a ton, but it pays eight hundred dollars a week for a salary and we provide full benefits. There is one direct report that we considered for the job, but we decided he does best working under someone. We also like to get some of the residence involved in helping out too. If you are interested I feel certain I could get you in." She said to him.

"You don't know me and you are offering me a job? Sounds a bit risky doesn't it?" He asked her in sincerity. No one had ever offered much confidence in Daryl's abilities before.

"So are you saying 'No'?" She asked him point blank.

"I didn't say that, just not used to people offering me a decent job. I gotta think about it." He replied in sincerity.

"Well I hope you take it. We've been looking for someone that would be a good fit, and I think that person is you." She said giving him a sweet smile.

Daryl let out a laugh "I ain't never been a good fit for anything."

"Don't sell yourself short Daryl. I'm usually a good judge of character and I see something in you." She told him not breaking eye contact.

Daryl looked down at his hands as the intensity of her gaze made him feel exposed. Not knowing how to react to her comment he reached out for his pack of cigarettes on the table and lit one up. Nothing made him more uncomfortable than compliments.

"Hey…Daryl, I'm not trying to make you feel weird or anything. I'm just being honest." Riki said, sensing he didn't know how to handle any type of praise.

"Honesty huh? Is that why you gave me a load of bullshit about 'investments' made you all this money? I know for a fact you have to have something to invest with to get yourself up in high cotton like this." Daryl responded in a terse voice.

Riki raised her hands in surrender. "Look, if I tell you the truth you're going to do one of two things, and I don't want it to go down like that."

"Try me…you just said you saw something in me." He told her, throwing her own words back at her.

"Fine. I go by Riki, but my real name is Erika Thornton. Why don't you process that for a moment." She said, waiting for the shoe to drop.

A light went off in Daryl's head when she told him her real name. Erika Thornton, socialite extra ordinaire. Daughter of Thomas Andrew Thornton, and Granddaughter of Burgess Thornton. They were one of the wealthiest families in the entire country. Burgess had made his fortune growing and selling tobacco in the early forties and fifties, and then he diversified into Oil and building refineries. He was a self made man, but it was his son Thomas who had taken the family fortune and expanded it into a vast wealth of billions of dollars.

Daryl just sat there speechless, because he had no idea how to respond to the woman that had just revealed her identity to him. "I'm ready for you to take me back to my bike." He said in a cold tone.

"Great, fuck you too." She said angrily getting up from the table and heading back towards the condo.

"Wait." Daryl said, not knowing what he was gonna say next.

She stopped and turned to look at him, and he saw sadness on her face. He had genuinely hurt her feelings. Normally he didn't care, but she had shown him nothing but kindness and he had just acted like a complete and total dick. "You said that you got two reactions from people, I suppose I just gave you one of them. What reactions do you normally get?" He said, now curious.

"People either go overboard to be nice to me so that they can benefit from my wealth or they run away thinking that I want to make them a charity case or something." She said, almost in a whisper.

Daryl looked at her "So you don't want to make me your charity case? Offering me a job without even knowing me, allowing me to stay in your house where I could hurt you and no one would ever know the difference?" He said, questioning her intentions.

"No, I don't want to make you my fucking charity case. I work in a shelter for God's sake and I see plenty of people that need my help, so why would I randomly pick up some guy to take care of? You aren't a puppy. I just liked your company and I absolutely had no intention of bringing you here on purpose last night. You did a noble thing in helping me get home, but we both know I couldn't have done it without you. You could have left and I wouldn't have thought any less of you." She told him.

"So being loaded ain't as great as everyone makes it out to be?" Daryl asked her, trying to lighten the conversation.

"I reckon it is if you want to play the game, but I can't stand the fakeness and hidden motives of most people that run around in my 'social circle' as they call it. I like real people, but they are afraid of me. I'm gonna be real honest with you Daryl…it's lonely…I'm lonely." She confessed to him.

Daryl nodded at her in affirmation. He was lonely too. He knew what it was like to hang around people you couldn't stand simply because your family put you in those situations. Merle did it to him all the time. He hated hanging around addicts and two-bit criminals, but it was all he knew. Daryl didn't want to live that life and it had been the reason he had at least tried to take legitimate jobs. But it always seemed that Merle would find a way to fuck up his employment. Daryl was surprised, but he figured out that he could actually relate to Riki's dilemma.

"I get what you're saying, and I'm sorry. You've been a nice lady to me and I apologize for hurting your feelings. I ain't exactly a people person." He told her, causing her to smile.

"I sort of figured that out. I don't normally pour out all my problems to a virtual stranger either. How about we grab some breakfast and I'll take you back. You probably want to get on with your Saturday." She told him.

"Probably would be best. Why don't you give me the address for the shelter and let me know what time to show up on Monday." He said, forcing her to smile again.

…

Riki was still not feeling the greatest. She had showered and threw her hair up into a clip, slipped on a blue v-neck T-shirt and a pair of boot cut jeans and then she and Daryl headed out to a diner for breakfast before she dropped him off. Since she was still under the weather, she opted to let Daryl drive, and he enthusiastically agreed.

When they got to the parking lot at the bar, Daryl looked around and noted that his bike was not there. "Shit, Merle must have taken it home in the back of the truck. Fucking Asshole." He mumbled.

"Well I will just bring you to your house then." She told him. Daryl didn't answer and began to chew on his thumb. The last thing he wanted Riki to see was the run down trailer he shared with Merle. Hell, if she came into the trailer park they lived in there was a good chance she could be car jacked. It was a rough area to say the least.

"It ain't exactly a house." Daryl rasped out.

"Whatever…I'll take you to the place that you reside then." She replied sarcastically.

"Ain't real sure it's safe, especially if you are rolling up in this vehicle." He replied with a tad of concern in his voice.

"Daryl, I work in one of the most dangerous areas of Atlanta and I have survived fine. You just can't show them fear or weakness. If you do, then they will take advantage of that. It's all they know to get ahead in life. The shelter has several youth that have grown up in that environment, and it's my job to show them they have better options. Trust me, I'm not afraid of your neighborhood." She said, giving Daryl a confident smile.

"Fine, but I'm driving." He said as he got into the Navigator and led them out of the parking lot of the bar and towards his run down home.

As they pulled into the entrance of the trailer park Riki could see some of Daryl's concern. There were a lot of rough looking characters hanging around outside. Many of them noticed the expensive vehicle passing down the street, but other than a few glances, no one gave it a second look. There were several small children running around unsupervised, but none of them seemed to notice how poor the conditions they lived in on a daily basis actually were. To her the children looked happy and free. That was something that Riki didn't get to experience as a child because her parents controlled each and every activity she participated.

They pulled up in front of Merle and Daryl's battered trailer and Riki heard Daryl let out a string of profanities.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Merle's truck is here, but my bike ain't." He told her. It didn't take long for the front door of the trailer to swing open and Merle to stumble out. It wasn't even noon and he was obviously drunk or high, or possibly both.

Daryl jumped out of the vehicle to meet his brother while Riki stayed in the passenger seat. Something didn't feel right about this situation and she was preparing herself to intervene if necessary.

"Where the fuck is my bike?" Daryl shouted at his brother.

"Sold it you piece of shit. You chose not to help us out last night, and I needed cash. You snooze you lose you little ass." Merle taunted.

"You had no right, that was my bike. How the fuck am I supposed to get around…go to work?" He challenged.

"Ain't my problem. Maybe Miss High Class cooze can help you out." Merle sneered.

"Fuck you Merle." Daryl said taking a swing at his brother. Riki's feeling had been right and the situation was quickly growing out of control. Within seconds the men were rolling around on the ground taking and throwing punches.

"Stop it…both of you." Riki said.

Merle looked at her furiously. "You listen to me Missy…you had your fun with my brother, and it is time for me to teach him a lesson. You don't turn your back on family, and if you do…you pay the price. It just so happened his bike was enough to cover the amount he caused me to lose last night."

"Lose? What do you mean lose? Did you sell his bike to cover gambling debts or something?" She asked in a confused voice.

"Nah…he was supposed to help me with a job, but he was too busy sniffing up your skirt. You know what Darylina…You ain't welcomed here no more. You think you can avoid helping me out then you can have fun on your own." Merle told him in an angry but deadly serious voice. "Get the fuck out of here."

"You can't throw me out of here Merle. I've paid more than my share to keep this piece of shit roof over our heads. Why don't you get the fuck out you lazy asshole?" Daryl retorted to his brother, his face turning red with anger and his eyes narrowing at Merle.

There was a silence…then the simple sound of a click made Daryl and Riki freeze. Merle had pulled out a gun and had it cocked at Daryl's head. "GET….THE…FUCK…OUT…OF…HERE." Merle said in a deadly serious tone. Daryl could tell by the crazed look in Merle's eyes that he wasn't playing.

"Fine, let me get my shit." Daryl said as he marched inside.

Riki stood outside unmoving…then she looked at Merle. "I'm gonna help him and then we will be gone." She said bravely as she ran inside the ransacked trailer. The place was an utter and complete mess. Empty food containers and beer bottles were everywhere. The sink was over-loaded with dishes, and there were clothes strewn about the place. She heard Daryl moving about in the back of the trailer and she went towards what she assumed was his room.

In contrast to everything else in the place, Daryl's room was neat and organized. He had a couple of trash bags he was busy throwing his belongings and clothes in. From the looks of things, he didn't own much.

"Why are you still here?" He asked her in a low voice.

"I can't afford to lose my new Maintenance manager. You can stay with me until you come up with a solution. I have another vehicle you can use." She told him.

"I ain't no…" he said, but she cut him off.

"Charity case…I know. We already had that conversation Daryl. I'm just giving you a place to crash until you can work something out." She said in a kind tone. There wasn't anything condescending in her voice.

"I can't pay ya, not yet, but I'll make it good as soon as I can." He reminded her.

"Sound's fair. I've got some work around the place I want done anyhow, so maybe we can work something out. Will that work?" She asked him.

"Yeah." He said, chewing his thumb. "Can you carry this?" He said handing her something rather large in a camouflage case.

"Sure, but what the hell is it?" She asked picking it up. It was a bit heavy and awkward shaped.

"My crossbow. She goes with me everywhere." He told her.

"Well I'm honored you are letting me hold 'her' then." She joked. In a way it was kind of sad that all of Daryl's belongings fit into two trash bags, but that meant it didn't take long for him to pack up his stuff. Really it was just a few rag tag clothes, a pillow, and a couple of boxes of some momentos he seemed to want to hold onto.

"You ready?" She asked. He nodded and they made their way out the front door, where Merle was waiting, leaned up against the Navigator.

"You are one brave little girl." Merle threatened.

"Why is that?" Riki challenged.

"Taking in no good white trash…you have no idea what this boy has done in the past. Why don't you enlighten her Darylina." Merle said in a mocking voice.

"Shut up asshole." Daryl said to his brother.

Merle's face turned to stone at Daryl's reply and without notice he once again lit into Daryl, knocking his younger and slightly smaller brother to the ground. An uncontrollable rage had taken over Merle and he began to beat Daryl senseless. Riki tried to pull the older man off of Daryl, but when she grabbed Merle's shoulder he shoved her with such a force it knocked her to the ground, temporarily stunning her.

Daryl must of sensed that because all of a sudden he had a surge of adrenaline that allowed him to muster the strength to push Merle off of him and flip the older man on his back. Now Daryl was on top of Merle. But instead of beating his brother senseless, he grabbed Merles shirt and screamed in his face.

"We're done. Don't contact me and don't look for any money. When you get locked up…you figure it out on your own. I ain't got no God Damn brother anymore." Daryl said, disgusted. He got to his feet and helped Riki up off the ground.

"Told ya it was dangerous over here." He said, trying to lighten the mood a bit. His right eye was swollen, there was a gash above his eyebrow, and blood was trickling from his nose and mouth.

"Well, at least you don't have to deal with this anymore. Let's get you back so I can get you cleaned up. I'm sorry I got you into this mess." She told him.

"This mess has been here for a long time. Maybe you just actually got me out of it." He said, attempting to give her a smile. Right now it was all he could do and he hoped that Riki didn't think she was making a mistake by taking him in.

"Daryl you just might be the answer to more than one of my prayers." She said, not elaborating on what she meant by the statement.

 **Please please please review...If I get a positive response I will be sure to continue. I have plenty of twists and turns into this story...and I'm planning a biggie in the next chapter.**

 **Thanks for giving this a try.**

 **Hugs and Kisses-**

 **Missy**


	2. Chapter 2

**OK...second installment. FYI- A lot of foul language.**

As they were heading back to the condo Riki took a look at Daryl. "Are you OK? We can run by the Emergency Room or urgent care because you actually look like you might need some stitches above the eye."

"If you have a needle and thread I can do it myself." He told her.

"No offense, and I know you are a tough guy and all, but I don't think that is the best idea. I know someone who can fix you up in a jiffy now that I think about it. Let me make a call, and they can meet us at the condo." She told him.

"Whatever works." He said, not really wanting to spend the energy arguing with her. He had a lot to process and right now his eye and bruises were the least of his worries.

When they pulled into the parking garage Riki hollered at Daryl "Hold up. I wanna show you something."

He looked at her confused, shrugged his shoulders and followed her across the garage.

"Here, you can drive this until you find something to replace your bike." She told him handing him the keys. Daryl swallowed hard and his eyes (including his swollen one) doubled in size when he saw what she was offering him. It was a black Porsche Cayman GT4.

"There ain't no way I can drive that." He said emphatically.

"Yes you can. To be honest, there ain't no way I can drive it. It's a standard shift and I have never been quite able to get the hang of it, and trust me…I've tried." She told him.

"So why do you have an eighty-five thousand dollar car you can't drive?" He asked.

"It was a gift…and I thought I could figure it out. Seriously, a vehicle like this needs to be driven, and since you are here and without transportation for a while, it would be perfect to have you drive it. Plus, maybe you could visit Merle and rub his face in it." She replied, letting out a little laugh.

"Nah…that ain't happening. He'd do something to mess it up." He said, though part of him would love to see the look on Merle's face if Daryl pulled up in the sports car.

"Yeah, well that's why we have insurance. No offense Daryl, but your brother is a fucking asshole." She said bluntly.

"That he is. I haven't even asked if you are OK, you hit the ground pretty hard earlier." He said in a concerned voice.

"I'm fine. The only thing that was wounded was my pride as I landed on my ass. I never could fight worth a damn." She told him.

"I reckon they didn't teach that shit in your fancy boarding schools." He teased.

"Correct, the closest thing to fighting was fencing, and I sucked at that as well. I was good at sneaking out after dark though." She said giving him a soft laugh. Daryl liked the way she looked when she smiled. It was comforting.

"Maybe I could show you a few things…part of me paying back what I owe ya." He said looking down at the ground.

"Well Rocky, if you think it will make a difference I'll let you show me a thing or two." She said, not realizing how the statement came out. She noticed Daryl visibly blushed at the double entendre.

They hopped on the elevator and went up to the penthouse. Riki then looked at Daryl "You can pick either of the guest rooms, but the one you stayed in last night is a bit larger." She told him. He was silent and walked over to the room, she followed carrying his crossbow. When they entered the room he finally took the time to take it all in. He hadn't really noticed much about it earlier, but now that he was there he noticed it had a huge bathroom with a separate shower and Jacuzzi tub, as well as a stunning view of the Atlanta skyline, much like the rest of the home. There was a sliding door that led out to the balcony that offered a private view. To the left was a gate that led to the corner of the huge patio's balcony and past the master bedroom's entrance.

"I'm going to let you settle in and then I'm going to call Bob to come over and take a look at you. Is that OK?" She asked him.

"Don't want ya going to no trouble. I can take care of it." He told her.

"I'd feel better if he at least checked it out. He's a real down to earth guy that works at the center with me. You'll be working with him so it can't hurt for you to meet him." She said, noticing his hesitation.

"OK. Thank you for this." He said quietly.

"Nothing to thank me for Daryl, I'm just calling a friend." She said smiling at him.

"Naw, I mean this." He motioned with his arms letting her know he meant the whole room.

"Don't you worry about a thing Daryl. I'll call Bob and then you can settle in here. The remote for the Television is in the nightstand. After Bob drops by I'll let you do your own thing, but before he gets here I will give you a tour of the place. I want you to make yourself comfortable. This is your place now too." She said, trying her hardest to get him to relax.

Daryl simply gave her his customary nod. Riki looked at him and could tell he was uncomfortable in his new surroundings. She also noticed that he was still pretty battered looking. "Why don't you come sit down at the table in the kitchen and let me clean you up before Bob gets here." She said. He looked at her and didn't say anything, but he did start to walk to the table in the kitchen area.

She sat him down and then disappeared for a moment, returning with a first aid kit. "Just so you know, I totally would suck as a nurse, but I think cleaning you up might be in the realm of possibilities of what I can handle."

Daryl gave her a slight smile, finding her forthrightness refreshing. She pulled out anti-septic wipes and gently wiped his face. Daryl closed his eyes and for the first time in as long as he remember, he enjoyed the soft contact. She then moved down to his hands and cleaned his bruised knuckles as well. " I can bandage these if you like." She told him.

"Nah, better to let them just scab up and heal on their own." He said, still relishing in her touch.

"So Daryl, I don't even know your last name." She joked, and he realized she knew absolutely nothing about him other than he had an asshole brother and lived in a shitty trailer park.

"Dixon." He grunted out.

"Like the Mason-Dixon Line?" She asked.

"Yeah…but trust me, that won't my people that had anything to do with that bullshit. Dixon's are nothing but generations of fuck-ups." He said to her in an honest voice.

"I think every family has a lot of fuck-ups along the way. Mine could probably top the list." She said, a sincere but dark tone in her voice.

"Normally billionaires ain't fuck-ups girlie." He said in a somewhat pissed off voice.

"Trust me, money doesn't have anything to do with it. If you look up dysfunctional in the dictionary, our family portrait is there. My mother is weak, my dad is a ruthless asshole, and I have an illegitimate brother that would love nothing more than to see me dead. That's just scratching the surface Mr. Dixon." She said, letting his name roll off her tongue. He liked how it sounded falling from those luscious lips. Daryl mentally shook himself. He didn't need to even start down that path of thinking of her like that. She was just a nice lady helping him out of a jam.

"So let me show you around the place." She said changing the subject. Daryl gave her his customary nod and she began to show him around the condo.

"Inside everything is pretty standard. I've got the three bedrooms and four bathrooms. This is the main room, and I keep my porn collection in the cabinet under the TV." She said in a deadpan voice. Daryl's eyes must have popped open to the size of saucers.

"Just kidding Daryl…maybe." She laughed and then continued with showing him around. "You can see the kitchen over here, and there is a door that leads outside to a small breakfast area in case you want to eat out there. I like to enjoy breakfast and a cigarette on mornings that aren't too cold or sweltering. Each of the bedrooms have a private balcony entrance and you can open the gates between each bedroom that lead out to the main patio." She told him, leading him to the back of the condo to the main entrance to the balcony.

She then opened up the door and led him to the right. "This gate leads to the main patio and pool area.

"Pool? I didn't know you had a pool." Daryl said and Riki sensed a bit of panic in his voice, but she didn't push the issue.

"Yeah, I've got a pool…it's the one luxury I absolutely insisted on having. Follow me and I will show it to you.

They walked through the gate that led to the main patio and Daryl tried hard to keep his mouth from dropping. Sitting on the corner of the patio was a large hot tub that overlooked the city along with furniture nicer than anything that Daryl had ever owned. He realized that the part of the balcony just off the main area that was covered was because there were steps that lead up to what he assumed was the pool.

"Follow me and I will show it to you. It's heated and can be used year round." She said. They went up the steps, Daryl a little more apprehensive than he would like.

"Why so quiet country boy? Can't you swim?" She teased, trying to figure out why Daryl had suddenly gone mute.

He didn't answer. Instead he took in the pool area that reminded him of a luxurious desert oasis. There were tropical plants, a pool house, water features including a waterfall, and lounge chairs everywhere. The cabana housed a small refrigerator, a bar, and large grill, along with a flat screen television. The entire pool had to have cost more than Daryl had ever made in his entire life. For once he was truly and genuinely speechless.

"Daryl, did you hear me?" She asked again.

"I can swim, just ain't never seen anything so fancy. I'm used to lakes and rivers is all." He said.

"Are you sure that's it?" She asked again, trying not to push.

"I don't got a bathing suit." He mumbled.

"That's not a problem, I have a few extras in the bath house, and if you want we can pick up one for ya." She told him offering him a brilliant smile.

"Naw." He said, and with that he left the pool and headed back down towards his room, not offering any type of explanation. Riki just stood there dumbfounded, not sure what would cause Daryl to react like that because of a swimming pool. One thing was for sure, he didn't want to discuss it and she assumed it was some sort of trigger for something that had occurred during his lifetime. Maybe he was afraid of water from some possible near drowning experience. But that didn't make sense since he said he was used to Rivers and lakes. It had to be something else, but she decided he could tell her if he wanted too. For now she assumed he wouldn't be using the pool.

Daryl had left so abruptly that he hadn't even given a thought about Riki. He felt like a fool for his reaction, but there wasn't any way that he could ever let her see his back. Years of abuse from his father had left his back littered with scars from the whippings he had taken shortly after his mother's death. The last beating he had taken was right before he had turned eighteen, and it was that night that Daryl packed up his shit, sought out Merle, and he permanently left that cabin that represented his nightmare childhood. If Riki saw the aftermath that was displayed so prominently on his back she probably wouldn't allow him to work at the community center, afraid that his broken past would make him a danger to others. The worse thing was she had been so up front with him, and he couldn't find the courage to be honest with her. Maybe one day, but not now. Hell, who was he kidding…this was a temporary arrangement anyhow. Most likely in a short period of time he would be living somewhere else and he and Riki would only be co-workers.

Daryl suddenly felt tired. He hadn't got much sleep from the night before, and his little toss up with Merle left him sore and battered. He flopped down on the four poster bed and tried to catch his breath. Part of him already regretted staying here with Riki. In his haste of leaving he failed to retrieve his cell phone and his tools and he knew he would need to go back to get them. He also was in need of some new clothes for work and some basic toiletry items that he also neglected to get from the trailer. Daryl had just over a thousand dollars to his name and he would need to use a couple hundred of it to purchase what he needed.

He must have nodded off, because the next thing he knew there was a soft knock on the door and Riki was calling to him. "Daryl, Bob's on the way up." She said in her soft southern voice.

"OK, it's open if you want to come in." He told her without thinking. Hell it was her home and she could go anywhere she wanted.

The door opened and she stepped in. "Hey, I just wanted to apologize for earlier. I won't pretend to know what set you off like that, but that's your business and I was wrong for pushing you. The pool is there for you to use whenever you want and I will leave it at that." She told him.

"Sorry for running off like that. Didn't mean to make you feel like an asshole or nothing. It's just a long story I don't want to get into. Maybe one day, but not right now." He told her. The room was filled with silence that ended when Riki heard the knock on the door.

"That would be Bob…come with me and meet him." She said, extending her hand out to him and giving him a tug off the bed. He didn't need her help, but he seemed to enjoy her touch, which was odd for him.

Riki answered the door and a slim African American man stood there with a friendly smile on his face. She gave him a hug and ushered him into the condo. "Bob I am so glad you could stop by to check out Daryl. He bumped his head helping me out around here and I think the gash above his eye might need stitches." She said.

Bob offered his hand to Daryl "Bob Stookey, pleased to meet you." He said politely.

Daryl took his hand and mumbled out "Daryl Dixon, likewise." Bob could tell that the man was not big on conversation.

"Bob, Daryl is going to be our new maintenance manager at the community center." Riki said so that Bob wouldn't ask questions when Daryl showed up on Monday.

"Ha, so you finally found someone willing to take on Axle." Bob joked

"What the fuck kind of name is Axle?" Daryl asked curious to what Bob meant.

"Stop it Bob, let's let Daryl make his own opinions of Axle. We all know he is a hard worker." Riki replied. The last thing she wanted was Daryl to refuse the job because of one less than normal employee.

"I was just trying to warn him." Bob laughed.

"What's wrong with the guy? Is he missing something up top?" Daryl asked, pointing a finger to his head.

"Let's just say Axle is the guy that you always see at the bar that asks every woman to dance, and gets turned down by them all…but he just keeps trying. He's a really nice guy…just a little different." Riki said.

"Yeah, Different, that's a good way to describe him." Bob added.

"Look, if he's a good worker I don't care if he still lives with his momma." Daryl said trying to prove that he was open minded.

"Well your in luck then, because he does still live with his mother. But like we said, he's a good worker." Bob told him, trying hard to hold back a laugh.

Riki's phone rang and she looked at the number on the display, she didn't recognize it so she answered. "Hello." Daryl tried hard not to eavesdrop, but her face fell immediately when she heard the voice on the other end of the phone. She covered up the receiver and told Daryl and Bob to excuse her for a moment.

Bob was examining Daryl's cut and surmised he didn't need to stitch it. "I think after I clean it that I'll apply some Dermabond and you should be good." He told Daryl. He had noticed that Daryl's knuckles were cut and bruised and that he had a few other bruises on his face. There was no way he was believing the bullshit that Riki told him about there being an accident around the house.

As Bob was applying the Dermabond they heard Riki quite colorfully speaking to whoever had called her on the phone. "Look, I wish I could say I appreciate you calling and checking in on me, but that would be a fucking lie. I've told you it's over and I don't want anything to do with you ever again."

"You know what that's about?" Daryl asked Bob, concerned at how angry Riki sounded.

"Got an idea, but it ain't my story to tell." Bob said and Daryl respected his answer and the fact that he didn't appear to be the type for gossiping.

Riki's voice only got louder as the conversation continued "I don't care if you work for the President, it isn't enough to make me even remotely consider getting back with your ass you sorry son of a bitch. You fucking used me and that makes you a pathetic sack of shit. Do you hear what I'm saying?" She screamed.

Daryl looked at Bob "She can be kind of scary when's she's pissed."

"Oh, you haven't seen anything yet." Bob replied.

"Fuck you, and I swear if I find you stalking me again I will file charges, I don't give a shit who you are." She blasted at the person on the other end of the phone.

"No, we can't get together and talk. It's over; kaput, final…I never want to hear your sorry ass voice again. Now if you will let me go I have things to do." She said before she flung the phone across the room. She took a deep breath, and then walked back out to join Daryl and Bob.

Neither man said a thing when she came and flopped down in one of the plush living room chairs. Bob sensing her tension spoke up "Hey, some of us from work are going midnight bowling tonight at the Lucky Strike if you want to come. It will be Maggie and Glenn, Beth and Tyreese, and of course me and Sasha." He said.

"I don't know if I'm up to it Bob. Let me think about it and if I show up just let it be a surprise." She told him.

"I can do that. Just throwing it out there if you want something to do, Daryl you are more than welcome to join us if you want. Might be a good opportunity to meet some of us before you start on Monday. It's nothing fancy, just bowling, beers, and un-relentless teasing." Bob said.

Daryl gave his customary nod, not feeling completely comfortable with meeting new people. He knew it was one of his hang-ups he would need to get over, but it wasn't going to be easy.

"Well, Daryl's gonna live and I've got shit to do today, so I will be getting out of here. Hope to see y'all tonight." Bob said, giving Daryl a handshake and Riki a hug before he left the condo.

"You OK?" Daryl asked Riki.

"I could use a smoke, do you wanna join me?" She asked. Daryl couldn't agree fast enough.

…

Merle was finally sober and he realized he had fucked up royally with Daryl. The worse part about it was that he never would have dreamed that Daryl would have actually left. Daryl had always done what Merle had wanted him too, and now, without his baby brother, he didn't have the financial means to support himself. Some would say that he was using Daryl, and to be fair, he did take advantage of his brother's loyalty, but Merle made him a man and he deserved to be compensated for that.

Merle picked up his cell to call Daryl and try to talk some sense into him, but instead, he heard ringing coming from Daryl's room. The son of a bitch left his phone behind. Merle smiled, knowing Daryl would have to come back to retrieve the phone. When he did, he would clear the air with his baby brother and set him straight. Maybe Daryl was working this woman on his own…but that wasn't normally Daryl's scene. Daryl always seemed resentful when Merle would take him out on jobs and Daryl wasn't slick enough to pull a proper con. That being said his baby brother needed transportation since he had sold the bike early this morning to get someone he owed a debt too off his back. He knew the guy had wanted the bike for a long time, and when Daryl ditched him last night, Merle reasoned it was a fair trade. Had Daryl stuck around as they had planned, they would have been able to pull off the job they had set up, and then fenced the goods they had taken. Surely Daryl would understand.

Merle leaned back on the worn out couch and turned on the television. He closed his eyes and smiled knowing that he had an opportunity to get back in Daryl's good graces. He knew just how to work his baby brother, and he wouldn't take "no" for an answer.

…

Daryl was blowing smoke rings and Riki was watching him intently "Show off" she said to him.

"What?" He asked, bewildered at her statement.

"Blowing rings like that, I never could figure out how to do it, and every time I try I end up looking like I'm doing something obscene." She said to him in earnest, which caused Daryl to let out a genuine laugh.

"You gotta use the back of your throat." He told her.

"Um, no thanks, I've got those muscles trained for other things." She said, not realizing how it sounded before she said it.

Daryl quirked and eyebrow at her "Oh Really…hmmm."

"Shut up…not like that. I do a lot of fundraisers and public speaking, so I work hard on my enunciation. Speaking of fundraisers, I leave out for San Francisco on Wednesday for some Gala bullshit I have to attend. You will be on solo until Saturday morning." She told him.

"What the fuck is a Gala?" He asked.

"A big fancy party where everyone smiles and pretends they are a bunch of saints. The wealthy big wigs use it to make themselves feel better, and I have to play the bullshit game to raise money to support the community center. It allows the people that couldn't fathom what it is like to be dirt poor to think they are really making a difference. I guess in a way they are, but obviously you don't see too many of them donating their time and effort to help out in centers like mine." She admitted to Daryl.

"Yours? You didn't mention that you own the center." He replied to her, now realizing why she was so passionate about her job.

"Is that a problem for you?" She shot back.

"Naw, no problem, just makes sense now why it's so important to ya. I figured you were on Daddy's payroll and you were one of them people that helped out because it made ya feel good." Daryl replied honestly.

Riki let out a snort "There you go again making judgements against me. Just because I have money doesn't mean I don't care about other people. I want to help out those less fortunate anyway I can. Not because it makes me feel good, which sometimes it does, but because maybe those people I help can turn around and help others one day. There are kids at the center that have so much potential, but they have been told they were worthless their entire life. All they need is a break and some positive influence and there is a good chance they can break out of the cycle of poverty they have been raised in. If that makes me a bad person for helping them out, then so be it."

"I didn't mean to upset ya. Maybe it's something I gotta work on too. But if you had grown up like me, and seen the fucking looks people give me, you might be quick to jump to conclusions too. Do you know what it's like to walk by someone in the store and they grab their kids, or pull their purse closer because they assume I'm some fucking criminal? That's the bullshit I deal with all the time." He admitted to her.

"I'm sorry for that Daryl, especially since you seem to be a genuinely good man. Maybe a bit surly, but a good man. I'm glad I met you." She said, her eyes displaying a tenderness and genuine affection that scared the hell out of Daryl. He wasn't used to these kinds of things and he didn't know how to respond.

So he let out a grunt and looked down at the ground. Riki sensed that he didn't take compliments well, so she reached out and cupped his chin so she could look him in the eye. "I mean it Daryl, don't you ever doubt that about yourself."

He kept the eye contact and nodded. It was the best he could do as he felt a lump in his throat that refused to let him verbally respond. They had only known each other a very short time, but she seemed to understand him, and she was breaking through his walls…something no one had ever done before.

"So enough with all this sappy shit Mr. Dixon. I'm in a mood to cook, and well…you get to be my victim if you want. Can I entice you to eat a dinner if I prepare it?" She asked him.

"I ain't go no other plans." He told her.

"Good, when I get pissed off I like to cook, and I cook a lot of food. It will be good for it not to go to waste." She said to him.

"Can I ask you something…what you said earlier about me taking the car, were you serious? I've got some errands to run and I need to run back to the trailer to get my tools and my phone." He told her.

"Hmmm…so Merle would get to see you driving the Porsche? Absolutely I meant what I said. I hope you rub it in his face big time." She said, letting out a big laugh.

"I don't know about all that. Hopefully he won't be there when I get there. Either that or he is passed out. I am only gonna stop for a minute." He told her.

"Take all the time you want Daryl. You aren't reporting to me while you stay here. Dinner will be around six, so you are free to do what ever you want. If you decide you can't make it for dinner, give me a call. I'll give you my number." She said.

"OK, sounds good. Um, were you thinking about going out tonight…bowling?" He asked, looking down at the ground.

"Why? Are you interested?" She asked, slightly surprised that he would even consider it. She had made excuses, not for herself, but more so on Daryl's behalf. He didn't seem like the type that would want to be subjected to a group of strangers.

"It might be good to meet folks I'm gonna be working with, plus I'm a pretty good bowler." He told her shyly.

"Hot Damn Dixon, you're on my team then. We'll go." She said with her eyes smiling brightly. God he loved her smile.

"Are you a good bowler?" He asked.

"Fuck no. I average in the fifty's, but maybe you can help me with it. Every one is usually so busy laughing at how bad I am that I lose all concentration and I never improve. You helped me out with pool so maybe you can help me out with this." She said looking at him with hope in her eyes.

"Depends on how bad you are, sometimes there ain't no hope." He teased.

"Awww…I have faith in you." Riki said, giving him a pat on the shoulder as she stubbed out her last cigarette and stood to go start cooking.

…

Riki gave Daryl an access card to the parking garage and one to allow him to enter the thirtieth floor, along with a key to the condo. He had free reign of the building, as well as a set of keys to the Porsche and to the Navigator. One thing he couldn't deny was that she was extremely generous, and very trustworthy of him. It felt good.

Daryl found the car and it started immediately and the engine purred like a kitten. He had never driven anything so sleek and powerful before in his entire life. There were times Merle almost had him convinced to boost a car, but Daryl refused knowing if he got caught it would be a felony, and being caged up in prison wasn't something on Daryl's list of things he wanted to do.

He opted to take the long way out to the trailer park, just so he could take the interstate and feel the exhilaration of driving the sports car and it felt incredible. When he finally arrived at the park on the outskirts of Atlanta, he downshifted and drove it carefully over the ruts and bumps of the dirt road that led to the trailer he and Merle shared.

When he pulled up he noticed Merle wasn't there and Daryl let out a sigh of relief. Quickly he let himself into the house, retrieved his tools and his phone and then made for the front door. He put the items in the vehicle, and then remembered something he had left behind. He went back to his room and reached the back of his closet, pulling up a loose floorboard. He pulled out a box that contained a revolver and a few photos that he had held onto over the years. They were pictures of his mother, and a wedding picture of his parents that had somehow survived the fire. When his mother had passed away Daryl had held the photos close to him, sleeping with them each night in fear that he would forget what his mother looked like. He had her face engrained permanently in his mind, but he still cherished the photos.

Daryl took the final contents out to the Porsche when he noticed the little boy next door had wandered over to check out the car.

"Mr. Daryl are you rich now?" He asked when he spotted Daryl coming out the front door.

"Nah Luke, just borrowing it." Daryl told the little boy.

"Did ya steal it? Momma says Merle steals things and he makes you steal things too." The boy said innocently, but it still stung.

"I didn't steal it Luke, stealing is a bad thing. It belongs to a friend of mine and she wants me to drive it because she can't." He replied, trying to justify why someone like him had such a high dollar vehicle.

"Is she your girlfriend?" He asked.

"You ask a lot of questions little man." Daryl told the boy, reaching over to mess up the kid's hair. Daryl felt bad for Luke. His mom was one of Merle's conquests, often her trading sex for drugs. It was no place for a sweet kid like Luke to grow up. The kid was lonely and neglected and Daryl had wished more than anything that someone in the family would step up and take the boy away. The boy could be annoying with his non-stop questions, but Daryl knew it was because he was desperate for sober human contact, so when Luke would pop over, Daryl would give the boy the attention he wanted. The world was so full of broken kids, and he could relate to each and everyone of them, but he wasn't a saint and he wasn't a superhero, so talking to little Luke was the best he could do for now.

Unfortunately, talking to Luke kept Daryl held up at the trailer long enough for Merle to return. He heard the beat up truck before he saw it, and within minutes Merle was pulling up in front of the trailer. He opened the truck, and of course the sound of empty cans and bottles hitting the ground let Daryl know Merle had been out drinking already. Fuck, he was most likely drunk.

Merle got one look at the Porsche and let out a whistle. "Woo Wee boy, you are moving up quick in this world ain't ya? We could take this thing and sell it for a pretty profit, it would be enough so we didn't have to work for a long time."

"Since when did you ever work Merle?" Daryl shot back.

"I work, I just don't go the traditional route." He said, still admiring the car.

Daryl noticed Merle had groceries, and a bag full of household cleaners. "You planning on huffing tonight?" Daryl asked his brother.

"No" he said defensively "I decided since this is gonna be just my place for a bit that I might clean it up. I might even rent out your room." Merle said, thinking he would bait Daryl.

"Good luck with that, ain't so sure anyone would be brave enough to live with your sorry ass." Daryl said.

"Fair enough. So you really aren't coming back? Look the shit with the bike that was just business. I owed a debt and when we didn't pull off the job last night, I needed cash fast. It wasn't personal." Merle said.

"Don't matter Merle, I needed the bike for transportation, and I can't rely on you to drive me around. Hell you ain't even sober most of the time." Daryl said, trying hard to bite back the anger.

"I could have taken you to pick up the bikes you work on." Merle replied.

"I ain't working on bikes anymore, I got a real job that pays real honest money. It's a place in North Atlanta and I know damn well that you can't be trusted to get me there by seven each morning. Merle you fucked up this time, and it's best that things work out like this. I'm still your brother, but I gotta start doing what's right for me." Daryl insisted.

Merle wouldn't admit it, but Daryl's words hurt. It had taken the boy close to forty years, but he was finally starting to stand on his own, and that wasn't something Merle could accept. He wanted to lash out at Daryl, but he knew if he had any shot of getting his brother back, he had to be smart. Merle reached out his hand and offered a handshake to Daryl. Daryl looked at it hesitantly but finally accepted his brother's hand.

"You got my number if you need me. Maybe you can come by sometimes and visit. Keep in touch baby brother." Merle said as he gathered up his groceries and went into the house without another word.

Daryl stood there speechless for a minute, and then he got into the car and drove off to finish up the rest of his errands.

…

Daryl arrived back at the condo about two hours later and brought his purchases with him. When he entered the home, Riki wasn't anywhere to be found, but the smell of a home cooked meal filled up the condo. Daryl's mouth watered in anticipation of what ever it was she had prepared. It had been a long time since he had anything other than fast food or a sandwich.

He headed to his room and emptied the bags and hung up the new clothes he had purchased, and put all of his toiletries in the bathroom. Hell, he had even picked up a bottle of cologne that he thought was tolerable. If he was going to improve his life then that meant he was going to have to work on being more presentable. Riki was offering him a chance, and somehow the thought of disappointing her weighed heavily on him. He had bought three pairs of work pants, and work shirts, two pairs of new jeans, and four nice shirts. One blue long sleeve button down, a black polo shirt, and two nice T-shirts. He had made a conscious decision to leave the sleeves in tact, which was a difficult decision for him, but he still had a few sleeveless shirts he could rely on if he wanted to work on something or go out hunting. He told himself he would buy a couple more when he had the money, but for now it was the best he could do. His final items he purchased was a new pair of boots that were decent enough that he could wear them to work or out for a night on the town and a bathing suit. He didn't know if he would ever use it, but at least now he had the option. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

Daryl finally heard the door to the balcony open and Riki called for him. "Daryl are you back?"

He walked out to meet her and suddenly the food cooking was the second thing on his mind. Riki had been swimming, and she was wearing a very small pink bikini that left nothing to the imagination. It looked incredible against her olive skin, and her long dark hair was wet and clinging to her back. He could see her tattoo and noted she also had one on the side of her thigh that he hadn't noticed last night. All he could focus on at this given moment was trying to keep himself from getting an erection. He had never seen anything so sexy and beautiful in his entire adult life.

"Daryl, hey, did you hear me?" She asked again when he didn't speak.

"Yeah, I'm back. Smells good in here." He said, trying desperately to not focus on the nearly naked woman in front of him.

"You wanna join me on the balcony for a beer? Dinner still has a little while and I could use the time to dry off a little." She said. God did she know how much she was turning him on. Daryl might not have had tons of sexual experiences, but he still had needs and wants. At this moment, he very much wanted her, but there wasn't any way that he would EVER cross that line with her. She was somebody who deserved respect, and someone you didn't fuck, you made love to her. And Daryl had never made love to anyone. He knew at that moment he was in way over his head.

"Beer sounds good." Daryl told her and he followed her out to the balcony. He couldn't open his beer fast enough, and downed half of it one gulp. Quickly he lit up a cigarette and felt his heart rate begin to normalize.

"Did you get everything you needed?" She asked him.

"Yeah, bought a few work clothes and stuff. I also picked up my tools." He said quietly.

"Well I cooked while you were gone, and decided to go for a swim. I swam a lot more laps than I intended, but I had a lot of steam to burn off." She said, letting out a laugh. Damn her and that sexy laugh, and man could he come up with a few ways to help her burn off steam.

"So what time do ya wanna leave tonight?" He asked.

"Around eleven thirty, and I get to be the designated driver tonight, so you can enjoy all the beer you want. After everything you did last night, it's the least I can do." She said, giving him a wink.

Daryl could feel his breathing pick up when she looked at him like that. He literally thought he was going to have to take out his knife and stab himself in the leg to get his body under control.

"Ain't you self-conscious being nearly naked like that?" He blurted out without thinking.

That caused Riki to let out an even bigger laugh "Why Daryl Dixon, am I making you feel uncomfortable?" She teased.

"No." he said, but he really meant hell yes.

"I have to admit, you are quite a gentleman. You may appear to be a bit feral, but deep down you are one of the most respectful individuals I have ever met. Just so you know I appreciate that. I'll go change while you enjoy your beer." She said, as she stood up and made her way back to her room. Daryl watched every single step she took and enjoyed the view of her from behind. She was perfect.

 **OK...how am I doing with this. I know I stopped at a weird place, but this chapter was getting really long. I think I might update sooner with shorter chapters in this story if it's ok. I really need your feedback on this...so whatever you got to say, let me know. I appreciate all of the advice many of you have left, it really helps out.**

 **MSF tonight...all I know is to wait until after the credits and we MIGHT get a chance to see our man...**

 **Take care and please review for me. The more reviews the more people will want to read.**

 **Missy**

 **XXOO**


	3. Chapter 3

**So so very sorry for the long time between updates...Tis the season for chaos. Now let's go enjoy lots of sexual tension and frustration together.**

Riki returned from her bedroom dressed in a pair of shorts and an Atlanta Braves T-shirt. She had braided her hair so it fell to the side and Damn if she didn't smell incredible again. Daryl wasn't sure what it was about her, but she always seemed to smell like a piece of heaven. He was gonna have to ask her what perfume she wore, but then he re-thought the idea because men don't ask women questions like that.

"Do you think you can help me get dinner out of the oven?" She asked him.

"Ain't a problem." He said following her to the kitchen. She handed him some oven mitts and he began to pull out the food she had prepared.

"Just put it on the counter. We can each fix a plate and maybe watch the sunset out on the balcony? Does that sound OK to you?" She asked, a bit hesitant.

"I can do that." He said.

"You're pretty agreeable tonight Daryl…that's just how I like my men…easy." She said letting out a giggle.

"Yeah Yeah, you got a mouth on ya don't ya girl?" Daryl responded back. He sounded calm and cool, but she had no idea what she was doing to him with her tongue and cheek comments.

Daryl couldn't get over how much food she had prepared for the both of them. She had made balsamic glazed chicken breasts, steamed green beans in a lemon butter sauce, squash casserole, mashed potatoes so creamy they melted in your mouth, and then for the kicker, she had made a raspberry cream pie with a dark chocolate crust.

"Damn woman, that might be the best food I ever ate in my entire life." He said as he was shoveling food into his mouth like it was his last meal. Daryl couldn't help himself from giving Riki praise. She just smiled graciously at Daryl's compliment.

"Why thank you Mr. Dixon. Cooking is one of my passions, it's one of the few things I'm good at." She told him.

"How come you ain't married? You're a fine looking woman, smart, and you've got some good house keeping skills. I ain't figured out yet why you ain't got some rich stock broker or lawyer for a husband and why you are single, providing shelter to a low life like me." Daryl said to her, curious to find out what she had to say.

"Why Daryl? Have you been married before?" She quipped back at him.

"Fuck no, Dixon's ain't marrying types…Hell, I ain't never even had a steady girlfriend." He told her, surprised he had volunteered the information so freely.

"Then why the fuck are you judging me for not being married?" Riki asked defensively. Daryl discovered this was a touchy subject with her.

"I ain't judging you, just curious is all." Daryl said, raising his hands in mock defense.

"Sorry…I didn't mean to over react. So you haven't ever had a steady relationship? I find that hard to believe. You are quite easy on the eyes Daryl." She told him, trying to ease the tension.

Daryl grunted and blushed. "Apparently not that easy. Ain't never had no one in my life but Merle. He kinda saw to that." Daryl told her sadly.

"Huh. That's interesting. So are you the fuck em and leave em type?" She asked, a bit of coldness in her voice.

"Is that what you think of me?" He now responded in a pissed off tone.

"Well, I figure a manly guy like yourself must have a lot of sexual desires, and if you ain't had a steady girlfriend, then that would mean you pretty much would take a woman, and then leave her by the wayside." She told him.

"You don't know nothing about me. I was always too busy taking care of Merle to even remotely think about a woman. I respect women enough to keep them out of my life. No one needs a fucked up Dixon making things worse for them." Daryl replied angrily.

"I'm sorry Daryl…you are right about the fact I don't know anything about you, but that doesn't mean I don't want too. I was wrong to assume you were some sort of man whore." She told him in a sincere voice.

"I didn't mean to upset ya either, I just figured women like you were snapped up for marriage pretty quick. I gotta say this though you got an independent streak in ya that scares the fuck out of me. Should have known no man could tame ya." Daryl replied, offering up a verbal olive branch.

"Ha Ha Ha…I can be tamed…to an extent. I just don't want to end up like my mother. I love her dearly, but she has spent her entire marriage with my father being walked over. No man is ever going to treat me like that. I had one that I thought was "the one" but he turned out to be a douche bag that not only cheated on me, but also used my money to do so. Now he won't go away…wants me back blah blah blah. I won't go through that again. That's why I am so careful about who I let in." She confessed to him.

"Then why am I here? I know I look like a two-bit criminal, and I'll admit I've done things I'm not proud of." He told her.

"We've all done things were not proud of Daryl. Apparently you didn't follow the Atlanta Social magazines ten years ago. I put the Kardashian's to shame back then." She admitted.

"What made ya change?" He asked her.

"I woke up one morning with someone I didn't recognize…knew I made a terrible mistake, and after the awkward departure, I just stepped away from that life. Don't get me wrong, I love having money, but I've decided to do something better with it than just being a socialite. I want to help people, and I realized that your station in life has nothing to do with what type of person you can be. I like real people…that's why you are here." She told him as she reached out and placed her hand on his upper arm.

"So Daryl, what made you change?" She asked.

"Meeting you I guess. I've never had an opportunity like the one you have offered me. Not many people will take a chance on a high school drop out without any formal education. I appreciate you giving me a chance Riki." He said, holding eye contact with her.

"I tell you what, tonight we are going to go out and enjoy ourselves and get shit faced drunk. I'll call a car service so that neither of us has to worry about driving, and we will relax and have a fucking good time. What do ya think about that?" She asked.

"I won't complain…but first round is on me." He told her.

"You're on Dixon. After that though…you are going to enjoy nothing but top shelf liquor…whatever you want…and that's on me." She said, letting out a laugh.

…

Daryl had insisted on cleaning up the kitchen after dinner and had instructed Riki to sit and simply direct him as to where everything went. He realized that tonight's dinner with Riki might have been the first time in his entire life that he actually ate from a matching set of dishes and glasses. His and Merle's kitchen cabinets consisted of plastic cups from various fast food restaurants and mismatched plates that had somehow managed to survive their childhood and still traveled with them.

Riki watched Daryl intently. He was rough, there was no denying that, but there was also a kindness to him that he tried to hide. She sensed he had a hard life growing up, and she sensed he also had a sense of loneliness to him as well. Instead of seeking out others to fill that void he simply built a wall around himself and accepted his fate. Merle probably had a lot to do with that. She knew he was somewhere around forty years old, but he had let it slip that he had never had any type of romantic relationship. That saddened her. She had admitted to him that she lived a lonely life as well, but that was solely by her choice because she found it hard to trust people, but she did have a family and friends. Daryl really had no one other that Merle, and Merle was far from someone that anyone could rely on.

There were certain physical traits that Daryl possessed that drove Riki down a path she hadn't gone down in a long time…sexual attraction. She would never act on that attraction with someone as closed off as Daryl was, but if he wanted to pursue something, she didn't see herself telling him 'no' either. He had incredibly broad shoulders and muscular arms that were absolutely perfect. She had yet to see him with his shirt off, but she could tell he had a nice chest that worked its way down to some great abs. The best thing about it was it was all natural…Daryl didn't strike her as a gym rat. He looked the way he did because of hard physical work. That was something that many men she had come in contact with couldn't even fathom.

"What's got you thinking so much girl?" Daryl said bringing her out of her lustful thoughts. Just the gruffness in his voice sent sensations through her body. This was dangerous for Riki knowing he was now living under her roof at her request.

"Um…I'm thinking I wanna go sit on the porch and enjoy a mojito and a cigarette. Can I make you one?" She asked him.

"What the fuck is a mojito?" He asked.

"Tell ya what, give me ten minutes and I will let you try one." She told him.

"Mmmm? I don't know it sounds a little girly." Daryl said, concerned that he would seem feminine if he tried the drink.

"Its not…Spanish conquistadors brought it to this country many many years ago (she wasn't really sure if that was the truth, but it made it sound somewhat manly) and it's good stuff." She said.

"Fine, I'll try it. Might as well start drinking now so I can enjoy the night. It's been a long time since I've been able to drink without worrying about Merle. This might be a fun night after all." Daryl confessed.

"Of course it will be…if there is one thing I know how to do it's how to have fun. If you hang around me long enough I will prove it to you." She said giving him a smirk.

"Yeah fun is fine for a while, but real life ain't always a party. My fucking brother never got that concept." He said to her in a matter of fact tone.

"Hey, lighten up Dixon and let's just enjoy the night." She told him.

Daryl grunted and then walked out to the back porch, not feeling very secure in himself at the moment. Riki was a girl who had lived so completely different than he had, yet they shared a lot of the same pain that life had dealt. He didn't know the details, but had picked up that she had come from a fucked up family, and if he had to guess, he would say she most likely had Daddy issues she was dealing with. He would have to admit he had some himself. It seemed no matter how old he got, the pain from his past would never quite leave. And then there was Merle. Daryl felt guilty for abandoning his brother, but for once in his life he just wanted a chance to live life out from under Merle's thumb. Maybe if Daryl could get his shit together he could finally afford to be able to help Merle for real. Merle needed real down to earth medical and psychiatric treatment, but without health insurance there was little Daryl could do to help him. So instead, he had spent his life sacrificing his happiness to keep Merle out of as much trouble as possible. It hadn't been perfect, but without Daryl it would have been a whole lot worse.

Daryl flopped down on a chair on the condo's balcony and lit up a cigarette. He let out a sigh trying to calm his anxiety. He was soon joined by Riki carrying a tray with a pitcher and two glasses.

"Here you go country boy…your first mojito." She said handing him the drink. He looked at the drink, then at Riki and just shrugged his shoulders and took a swig.

He was pleasantly surprised at how the drink tasted. It was light, with a citrus flavor mixed with mint. Slightly sweet, but not overly so. "This is pretty damn good, but I can't drink this shit all night. I'll puke my guts out. Most folks don't realize it's the mixers that make you sick, not so much the booze. What booze is in this?" Daryl asked, curious.

"White Rum…Bacardi to be more specific." She answered.

"Fuck. I don't normally drink rum, but it is good." He told her while taking another swallow.

"I've got some Gentlemen Jack and some Crown Royal if you want. I tend to gravitate towards Tequila and Vodka. My old Friends Patron and Belvedere." She said laughing.

"Girly shit. I don't touch Tequila, it makes ya crazy." He told her.

She lit up a cigarette and relaxed on the balcony. The two continued to chat and watched the sunset over downtown Atlanta. It was close to nine o'clock before they realized it and Riki finally stood up and told him she needed to get ready. "The car will be here at ten and I need about an hour to get going. Your free to sit here or if you wanna get ready go ahead." She said.

Daryl gave her a nod "I'll take a shower too…wanna make a good impression on you co-workers, though I'm not sure what they are gonna think of these bruises on my face and hands. I could tell Bob didn't buy the bullshit you gave him, but he was cool about it."

"Trust me Daryl, we've seen a lot worse come through the center. No one will hardly notice." She assured him. He stood up and followed her back into the house.

…

Riki had just got into the hot shower when she felt the water pressure drop slightly and realized Daryl was also showering. She placed her hand against the shower wall; knowing just mere inches separated her from a naked Daryl. "Stop it Riki…you are gonna lead yourself down a path that will only lead to heartache." She told herself. She was fighting the urge to touch herself in inappropriate ways knowing that the ruggedly handsome man was possibly soaping himself up at this very moment. The unmistakable sound of soap dropping to the floor of the shower next to her caused her to giggle "Don't drop the soap Daryl." She yelled through the wall.

…

Daryl was lathering himself in soap when the bar slipped out of his hands and hit the shower floor with a loud "thud" and then he heard Riki yell through the wall "Don't drop the soap Daryl." He was startled to hear her, then laughed out loud when he realized she was showering on the other side of the wall. Shit, all he could focus on now were those perfect breasts being slathered in warm soapy suds. "Don't let yourself go there Daryl…ain't nothing gonna come out of this." He told himself. As the water poured down his body he took a few deep breaths and got his body (which was beginning to have a mind of it's own) under control.

…

Daryl opted to wear the new black polo shirt he had purchased. It was not his usual look, but he wanted to make a decent impression on his new co-workers. If he was going to make a change in his life, he needed to start with himself and his attitude. He pulled on his jeans and a pair of black motorcycle boots to finish off his look. Daryl even made an effort to trim up his out of control hair and beard and when he was done, he then spritzed on some of the cologne he had purchased. He couldn't recall the last time he put this much effort into his appearance, but for some reason this night seemed to matter.

He walked out of his room into the main part of the house, fixed himself a shot of Gentlemen Jack to help him relax, and then flopped down on the couch to wait for Riki. He reached for the remote control and turned the television on and realized it was the first time he had ever watched TV on a high definition LED unit. The brightness and clarity was amazing and had him mesmerized the first moment he saw the picture come to life. Growing up, the best he and Merle could manage was an old second-hand TV they picked up at a thrift store.

Daryl began watching the news and enjoying his liquor when a news story of interest caught his attention. He heard Riki's name mentioned and he called for her to come and watch the news story. She rushed out dressed only in a tiny pink towel with her long wet hair cascading down her back. Daryl tried to not notice she was next to naked…again, but the ample amount of cleavage and bare thighs just a few feet from him made it difficult.

" _ **A local man from the community of Alexandria, Carter Griswald is leading a planned protest Monday morning at the 'Rebuilding Hope Mission' in Northern Atlanta. The mission is owned and operated by local socialite Erika Thornton and has been prone to controversy. Last year an Atlanta teen was murdered outside of the front entrance of the center as a result of gang violence. The protesters feel that having the Mission in the area of Alexandria attracts dangers to the area.**_

 _ **Griswald stated "Though we appreciate what the hard work that the mission does for those less fortunate, it attracts a violent and undesirable group to the area. Alexandria is a community of serenity, and by having the Rebuilding Hope Mission just outside our walls increases the dangers for those who live inside the community. Most of the inhabitants of Alexandria have paid a lot of money to live in this self-serving neighborhood and it would benefit those of us who pay taxes and work hard to have the threat of danger removed."**_

 _ **News reporter: "But Mr. Griswald there is a large group of people who would state that you have an elitist attitude. They also fear that eliminating the center would put those who need it for assistance with rebuilding there lives back in the situations they were in before turning to the center for help."**_

 _ **Griswald: "Look we support the good work they do, but we can't risk the violence so close to our homes. It would be to everyone's advantage if the center were relocated to an area away from Alexandria. We will never clean up Atlanta with places so close to decent neighborhoods."**_

 _ **News reporter: "You are aware that this center is operated and owned by Erika Thornton, and she has a powerful attorney to fight against your cause."**_

 _ **Griswald: "While we support Ms. Thornton's generosity and dedication, this isn't the place for her to run her center. If it's a fight she wants, then it's a fight she will get. We have attorney's as well and have been told that we have a strong case against her."**_

 _ **News Reporter: "So there you have it…it looks like there is going to be an ugly battle between the neighborhood of Alexandria and the philanthropic cause supported by Erika Thornton. Stay tuned to see what happens."**_

Riki jumped up and almost lost her towel in the process. "Stupid Mother Fuckers. They have no idea how hard it is to operate a center like mine, and the damn media is making it out like it is just a simple hobby for me. Damnit…they don't understand how much those people mean to me and how much the center can do to help those willing to help themselves."

Daryl looked at her and quietly stated "We'll get through it Riki…you don't strike me as the type of girl who likes losing and if this is a cause you are passionate for, then I think they don't stand a chance. Whatever you need me to do, let me know…I'm there for ya."

Riki looked at him, tears threatening to leave her eyes. The sincerity in Daryl's voice touched her deeper than she had known anyone could. All she could manage to squeak out was a soft "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." He told her. Seeing the softness and vulnerability on her face did something to him inside. He could feel the walls around his heart start to crumble and he wasn't sure how he felt about that. He knew Riki was beautiful, but on top of everything else, she was a genuinely a good and kind person and he felt deep down he could trust her.

"You aren't mad at me for not telling you about what happened last year?" She asked.

"Nah…there has been a violent episode or two in the trailer park we live in. It was unfortunate, but not unexpected. Gotta be honest though, I've never really dealt with gang violence, but plenty of violence because of cheating old ladies and drug debts." He confided in her.

"Thanks for keeping an open mind Daryl. This wasn't how I wanted your first day at work to go." She said.

"Been through worse." He admitted. "Now please go put some clothes on woman and lets get this party started." He said trying to change the subject.

"Daryl, does me being nearly naked bother you? It's just a body, everyone has one." She told him.

Yeah, but not one like you have, he thought to himself. "It's just not fitting for you to walk around like that with me here. Don't want people getting the wrong idea. It also makes me feel like a perv." He admitted to her.

"Why Mr. Dixon? Do you see something you like?" She teased.

"Put your damn clothes on woman…and wear something comfortable so you can move…I don't like to lose at bowling." He said changing the subject.

…

The trip to the Lucky Strike bowling alley was nothing like Daryl had ever experienced. By now he and Riki both had a good buzz going. The Patron and Gentlemen Jack were working nicely to relax the duo.

Daryl thought he was going to faint when he saw Riki after she had got dressed. She wore very fitted black jeans that she explained to him were stretchy and would not effect her ability to move, and paired the jeans with a pair of converse and a white T-shirt that clung to her curves. Around her neck she had on a black choker with a pair of angel wings, and it reminded him of his motorcycle vest. She had long silver earrings that dropped down and elongated her neck. And instead of her normally long straight hair, her chocolate locks were now in waves that cascaded down her back and shoulders. Her make-up was minimal and Daryl didn't think she could be more beautiful. She was fortunate, because she possessed natural beauty, and didn't need to have it painted on like so many of the woman that graced the Atlanta social circles. And as usual, she smelled good enough to eat.

When they got to the limo that picked them up, Riki poured them each a high ball and then flopped down in the back seat. "Gotta admit Mr. Dixon, you clean up very nicely…and God you smell amazing. I like this look you are sporting."

Daryl just grunted a response before speaking "Do you always say what is on your mind?"

"Yep…there isn't any need to play games and have people guess what you're thinking. I mean, I wouldn't say anything to purposely hurt anyone's feelings, but if I like something, I want you to know." She said.

Honesty…It was a nice thing.

Riki had the driver blast the stereo in the back of the limo as they listened to the Allman Brothers on their way to the alley. At one point Riki opened the sunroof and popped her head out, enjoying the feeling of the wind rushing against her face. "Come on up Daryl, it's a great feeling." She said reaching down a hand to him so he would pop his head out with her. He was apprehensive at first, but it didn't take much for Riki to encourage him to enjoy the ride. He even yelled out a quite forceful "Booyah" when they drove past the cut off that led to Merle's trailer

He had to admit, driving through downtown Atlanta, halfway looped, with a beautiful woman and no Merle to worry about was quite liberating. That was when he realized he was doing something he hadn't done in a long time…he was smiling and laughing. It felt good.

…

When they arrived at the bowling alley neither Riki nor Daryl was feeling any pain. Daryl was still quiet as a church mouse, but Riki was in full party mode. She introduced Daryl to Beth, Maggie, Glenn, Tyreese, Sasha, and of course, he already had met Bob. It may have been the first time he ever had been in the company of a mixed race social group. Merle was an admitted racist, and for the most part Daryl had just followed around not willing to stir the waters with his brother, but he had never shared his brother's beliefs. All Daryl cared about was a person's true character. Unfortunately when Merle Dixon is your older brother, you aren't exposed to a lot of people who had good character.

The Lucky Strike was a combination bar and bowling alley. That meant that besides the normal beer that was available at the normal bowling alleys, this place also offered liquor and cocktails. There was even an upstairs dance floor and Karaoke bar. Riki mentioned it was a common hang out for the staff on weekends and Daryl wondered if he would be spending a lot of time here. So far it didn't seem so bad.

The first person to make an attempt to ingratiate Daryl into the group was Beth. She was an absolutely adorable little blonde with huge blue eyes. Daryl was drawn to her softness and her smile, but she was a bit too young for his liking. He was damn near forty and she was probably just barely legal. "Hi I'm Beth, Bob told us you are going to be the new maintenance manager at the mission…don't let anything they said about Axle get to you. He's harmless, and beneath all of his awkwardness he is a really nice guy."

"Good to know." Daryl said quietly, awkward himself with social conversations. If he hadn't already drank himself some courage he probably would have given his customary nod or grunt. But tonight he would try. For one, he didn't want to make Riki look bad, and for another reason, he really wanted these people to accept him. They didn't know about his past and his pain in the ass brother, and therefore they couldn't judge him based on his name or family members.

They separated into four teams, Maggie and Beth, Glenn and Tyreese, Riki and Daryl, and Bob and Sasha. Daryl had to admit he could see why Bob was so taken with Sasha, she was beautiful and tough. Sasha was the perfect combination for a woman. She was a straight shooter like Riki and Daryl could see why she had hired these people to work with her. They needed to be tough to deal with the broken people that came into the shelter on a daily basis. He wondered what Riki had seen in him to be so willing to give him a chance without hardly even knowing him.

"All right everyone…are you ready to get beat?" The large man Tyreese challenged.

Glenn leaned over to Daryl "Just so you know…Riki sucks at bowling…if you want to change up partners no one would blame ya."

"Nah, I'm good. I like a challenge." He said, trying to defend Riki. She herself had warned him how bad she was.

Bob then shouted "Let's take bets as to whether Riki breaks fifty or not tonight." The entire group started laughing and Riki placed her hand over her heart in a fake display of hurt. She knew how bad she was, and it didn't bother her one bit.

Daryl leaned in and whispered in Riki's ear "You'll beat fifty tonight, I promise."

"Woo Hoo!" She shouted in her best country girl voice. It took Daryl by surprise. "Hold on Y'all, I'm gonna pick out some tunes on the juke box to get this party rolling." She shouted as she headed towards the jukebox in the corner. She made her selections and then made her way back to Daryl just as "Sympathy for the Devil" by the Rolling Stones started to play.

"Decent song." Daryl said to her.

" I love this song...so who goes first?" She asked as she began to sing loudly and off key, while dancing around.

"You take the first frame, I wanna watch what you are doing so I can see what you do wrong." Daryl said to her.

"Oh, you wanna watch now do ya?" She teased him. Her words were beginning to slur and Daryl could tell she was well on her way to a major hangover in the morning. Might as well let her enjoy her drinking tonight since she'll be hating life in the morning. He had to admit, he was feeling a decent buzz as well, but Riki was a good two shots of liquor ahead of him.

"Hush and take your damn turn." Daryl warned her. Riki was singing and dancing as she stepped up to the line and threw her ball down the lane. Other than her lack of attention, her form was decent (and a bit distracting to Daryl as well) but Daryl realized immediately what she had done wrong when the ball shot into the gutter half way down the lane.

"Woo! I don't disappoint do I?" Riki exclaimed after showing off her horrific bowling skills.

"Maybe if you concentrated more and didn't flit around so much you might do a little better. Your form is good, but you twist your wrist at the last second, which is why the ball goes left. Let me help you through your release on the next ball." Daryl said making his way over to her. Riki thought to herself 'man I would love to have you help me with my release' but she kept it to herself, realizing she had embarrassed Daryl enough for one night.

This time Daryl assisted her as she walked up to the line and wrapped his arms around her showing her how to hold her arms and wrists when she released the ball. He had to take a few deep breaths and think about anything but how close he was to her at the moment. "These arrows on the lane are good to help you line up where you want the ball to go. Once you learn how to get the ball to go where you want it too I can show you some tricks so you can curve your shot." He told her.

"Here goes nothing," Riki said as she stepped up and took her shot. She did as Daryl had showed her, and surprisingly not only did the ball stay out of the gutter, but she actually knocked down eight pins.

"Holy Shit, Riki got pins down on her first frame, has that ever happened before?" Sasha yelled. Everyone burst out laughing, but Daryl could tell Riki was proud of her shot, whether she would admit it or not.

Daryl proved he was a damn good bowler, bowling three strikes in a row before settling on a spare on his fourth frame. It had been a long time since he had last bowled, but he managed to bowl a 230 and Riki bowled a decent 140. Their combined total barely nudged out Bob and Sasha, but it was the first time that Riki had ever been on a winning team at bowling, and she loved every minute of it.

"Hey Dixon you want another shot? We winners need to celebrate." Riki said, her words slurring as she spoke.

"Sure, but you might want to slow down before you regret it." He warned her.

"Awww you're so sweet, you are worried about me. I know my limits Dixon, and I haven't reached it yet." She said in a giddy voice.

Riki disappeared and then reappeared a few minutes later with a double shot for Daryl "You need to catch up to me Dixon."

Daryl nodded 'Thanks' and then swallowed the shot. He then heard Riki squealing "BETHY- Karaoke tonight honey…let's go sing."

Then Daryl heard Glenn let out a laugh "Oh God…"

Daryl turned to him "What now?"

"Riki loves Karaoke, but she is awful. You are in for one interesting experience." He warned. They left the bowling lanes and headed over to the Karaoke stage. Beth went first, and to Daryl's amazement, she was good. Like, really good and she knew how to work the crowd. She sang an old song from the eighties "Walking on Sunshine" and it fit her cute perky nature perfectly.

The next to go was Riki, and well…Glenn was right. She was not blessed with the gift of song. She was singing "Girls just want to have Fun" and it was so bad that Beth took pity and joined her, while Glenn slipped the guy playing the music twenty bucks to turn down Riki's microphone. Fortunately Riki was so drunk by now she didn't even notice. It was taking everything Daryl had to hold back his laughter. Riki was definitely a fun drunk and she seemed not to give a shit what anyone thought about her. She had confidence in herself, but not arrogance, and Daryl thought that was actually quite a turn on. He wished he had just one tenth of her confidence. Unfortunately, his entire life he was told he was a nobody…a nothing, and after forty years you begin to believe it.

"Hey Riki-I'm going out for a smoke. You wanna join me?" He asked her.

"Abso-fucking-lutely" She said as she stumbled towards him. Daryl caught her and helped her stand upright, then led her through the back of the bar out to an alley where they could grab a smoke.

"So are you having a good time Daryl?" Riki slurred, putting the emphasis on Daryl's name.

"It ain't bad." He replied back.

Riki lit her cigarette, handed Daryl the lighter, and then stumbled a bit back against a Dumpster in the alley. Quickly Daryl grabbed her so her ass wouldn't hit the ground. "You can't even stand up straight girl."

"Shhh…don't tell anyone." She giggled.

"I ain't gonna need too, when you walk back into the club and face plant. Then everyone will know." He informed her, hiding a small laugh.

Riki stepped towards him and lost her balance again, this time landing in Daryl's outstretched arms as he caught her. They were now face to face mere inches apart. Riki focused on Daryl's mouth as he did the same towards her. Those luscious pouty lips that he would love nothing more than to taste with his own were so damn close. Riki must of sensed what Daryl was feeling as she stepped up on her tippy toes so that Daryl could have better access to her. However, a small cry suddenly came from the Dumpster and both of them broke apart as Daryl raced over and lifted the lid to investigate the sound.

"What is it Daryl?" Riki asked, trying to keep her voice from slurring.

Daryl rummaged through the garbage and the sounds of the cries grew louder. He found a box and opened it up to find two little kittens that had been placed in it and thrown away. "Son of a bitch." Daryl exclaimed.

"Did you find it?" Riki asked.

"Yeah, someone threw away two kittens. Fucking assholes. What kind of fucker would do something like this?" He asked out loud, knowing that someone like his own father would have done it in a heartbeat.

"Daryl we can't let them stay here. They are coming home with us." Riki said emphatically. Riki was a rescuer, and these kittens were no different to her than someone who showed up at the shelter for help.

"Alright, but we can't take them back in the bar…I'll stay out here with them while you enjoy the rest of the evening." He said.

"Are you kidding me Daryl? Do you think I would leave you out here in a dirty alley to baby sit these little ones? I'll go let everyone know what is going on and then we will leave. But before I do, can I hold them?" She asked.

Daryl lowered the box so that she could pick the little fur balls up. One was a long hair gray kitten with white paws and a white splotch on its face. The other was a long hair black and white tuxedo cat. Both of them looked starved and were meowing continuously. Riki picked up the little gray one first, and it began to purr as she held it close to her chest. Of course, Daryl thought he would have to fight off purring too if he was held that close to Riki's beautiful breasts.

"They are so precious." She said as she placed the gray kitten back in the box and then cradled the little tuxedo cat to her as well. She was in love with them already.

"We can get the driver to stop by a twenty-four hour Wal-Mart and I will run in and grab some things for them." Daryl told her. Riki nodded in agreement and then ran into the bar to say goodbye to everyone. She was gone less than five minutes and then she and Daryl headed towards the limo that was awaiting them.

One thing neither of them realized was that their interactions in the alley were being watched by not one, but two different individuals with entirely different intentions.

…

It was close to three in the morning when they arrived back at the condo. Daryl carried the box with the kittens, but he also helped a very intoxicated Riki as well. He was a bit drunker than he wanted to be, and he struggled greatly to appear as sober as possible when he made the quick run into Wal-Mart, but he was sure it didn't take a genius to notice he was far from sober.

When they got to the condo, Daryl helped Riki to the couch and then handed her the box with the little critters. He then fixed two bowls of food, a water bowl, and then filled up a litter box.

"They're so cuuuuute." Riki squealed.

"That they are. Are you gonna name them?" Daryl asked.

"Only if you help. Do you know if they are boys or girls?" She replied to him. She was fighting hard to remain upright.

"Both boys." Daryl told her as he reached down and took them from Riki so they could eat. Riki looked disappointed not to have the kittens in her lap until she saw how much the little guys were starving. Then she smiled.

"I want to call the gray one Oscar and the other one Lucky." She told them. Daryl gave her a confused look, but he grunted in agreement.

"Oscar…like Sesame Street, because he lived in a trash can, and Lucky because we found them at the Lucky Strike bowling alley." She explained as she began to hiccup.

"That works." Daryl said as he stumbled slightly, landing on the couch beside Riki.

"Daryl…will you please kiss me?" Riki asked in an almost begging tone.

Daryl felt his heart speed up at the unexpected request. "Nah girl…wouldn't be right. We're both drunk and you aren't making good decisions right now. You are way out of my league and I don't want you to regret anything in the morning." Daryl explained, noticing the frown on Riki's face.

"But I want you too…it's only a kiss and I promise not to regret it." She said.

Daryl let out a strained laugh. "No…ain't gonna happen. Don't need you getting pissed at me for taking advantage of you and then tossing me on the street. Plus, you're my boss now and that wouldn't be right. I ain't never kissed any of my bosses in the past, and it wouldn't be good to start now."

"Have you had female bosses before?" She asked Daryl.

"No, but it still ain't right. Look Riki, it can't happen…I'm not good for you and I don't want to let you down. We're friends, but it can't be anything more." He told her. The words seemed to burn as they left his mouth, because there was nothing more he wanted to do right now than kiss her and feel her lips against his, but he had to remain strong, and this was one of the most difficult things he had ever done. He wanted her so badly that he almost ached.

Riki nodded "OK. I wish you could see your worth, but I'm not gonna force you. I thought we had a spark, but I guess I was wrong."

"Now look, I ain't saying I'm not into you or anything, I just think it's best not to cross them lines. You ain't mad at me are ya?" He asked in a concerned voice.

"No I'm not. I appreciate your honesty and respectfulness. I can't say that anyone has ever treated me with that much concern. Thanks." She said, this time though she did lean over and give him a chaste kiss on the cheek. Daryl blushed three shades of red but didn't say anything.

Riki looked content playing with the kittens and Daryl slipped outside to have a smoke. He could still feel the burning on his cheek where she had planted her kiss, and he had to admit that it felt good. He was in way over his head right now and he knew it. He was developing feelings for Riki, which was a foreign concept to him. To make matters worse, she was showing an unexplained interest in him and that was throwing him into all sorts of mental chaos. He knew that if he had granted her wish of a kiss, then it probably would have ended up in something more, and he wasn't prepared for that. His sexual experiences were limited, and he absolutely no knowledge of how to truly pleasure a woman. The few times he had managed to get laid, it had been all about him getting off, and if the other party happened too climax, that was sheer luck. But he knew that if he had chosen to lay with Riki, he would want her to enjoy the experience and he didn't know if he was capable of providing her that joy.

Daryl then convinced himself that no matter how bad he wanted Riki, or how much she offered herself to him, that he would never let their relationship go to that level. He would stay here with her until he could get on his feet, and then once he had the money he needed, he would move out into his own place and merely have a co-worker relationship with her, the same as with Glenn and Bob. It was what was best for everyone. Riki had admitted she was lonely…and that loneliness must have left her feeling desperate for anyone's attention, even someone like Daryl.

Daryl walked back into the condo and Riki was passed out on the couch with the little critters asleep in her lap. He walked over to her and carefully removed the little kittens from her body, and then gently picked her up and carried her to her bed. He slipped off her shoes and covered her up gently and then went to retrieve Oscar and Lucky and placed them in the bed with her. Both of the kittens snuggled into her warm body and Daryl bent over and did something he had never done before, he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and then turned off the lamp beside the bed. He left her room and took a deep breath knowing how much of a struggle it was going to be to keep the relationship platonic, but it was the best for everyone. He then made his way to his own bed, stripped down to his boxers and a white T-shirt and tucked himself in for the night.

…

The next morning Merle was sitting in his trailer watching the news. He had been sober for over twenty-four hours and that was no easy feat for him. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, his argument with Daryl had gotten to him. He already was missing his little brother, but he couldn't blame Daryl for wanting out of this hellhole of a life. Daryl had never had a chance to experience any type of happiness, and for once Merle was actually rooting for his younger brother. God knows the kid needed some sort of joy to make up for all of the abuse and heartache he had endured in the past. For now it was best that Merle give him his space.

Merle could still smell the lemony scent of the cleaning products he had used to clean up the dump of the trailer. He cleaned out the fridge and filled it with fresh food as well as scrubbed the bathrooms, washed up all his dirty clothes and bed linens, and dusted the entire place. He had thrown a clean blanket over the threadbare couch and had opened up the windows to let the place air out. For once in as long as he remembered, he was actually proud of how the place looked.

Merle had decided that he was going to try to turn himself around. The first thing he needed to do was sober up and clean out his system so he could pass a drug test and find a decent job. Even though he had a felony record, he also had military experience in his background. All he needed was an opportunity to prove himself and then he wouldn't disappoint. If Daryl was going to make an effort, then Merle could too. The good thing about Daryl was he had a clean record and wouldn't test positive for drugs. Somehow after all the years of Daryl hanging out with Merle, Daryl had managed to keep himself clean. Yeah, Daryl had experimented with things in his late teens (thanks to Merle), but he had decided it was best to leave it all alone. In that regard, Merle was both proud and jealous of his younger brother. But it also might have been why Daryl was so closed off. Daryl had no outlet to escape from all the shit in their past. Merle had his drugs, and he knew that giving them up meant he might have to face more than a few demons himself, but he was ready to do that.

Merle relaxed back into the couch and watched the rest of the morning news. One story caught his attention and he turned up the volume so he could hear the details.

" _ **Has socialite Riki Thornton found new love? She was spotted out last night in a compromising position with a mystery man."**_ The television then flashed with video of Riki in a close embrace with Daryl in what appeared to be an alley.

"Well fuck me little brother. Now I know where I recognize that princess from." Merle said to himself.

" _ **It's not known who the man is that is with Ms. Thornton, but the two appeared quite close throughout the evening."**_ Then they showed footage of Daryl with his hands on Riki's hips, as she was about to bowl a frame and then her wrapping him into a hug after she took her turn.

"Well son, there you go." Merle said, a smile crossing his face. However, the smile quickly faded when his cell phone rang and he recognized the number as someone he didn't want to deal with.

Merle took a deep breath to calm himself down "Hey Joe." He said enthusiastically.

"Morning Merle. I was calling to discuss a little unfinished business with you." Joe replied.

"Yeah, about that…I was meaning to call you to talk about that situation. See, the thing is I don't have your money right now, but I can get it." Merle said in a confident manner.

"You can huh? Three days for the first Ten grand, and another week for the second ten grand. If you can do that, then we will have no issues. But if you don't meet the deadlines Merle, then we will have a problem, or should I say, you will have a very big problem. Don't make me take a pound of flesh instead of the money. I like you Merle, but you aren't above reproach." Joe threatened.

Merle hung up the phone forcefully. He had gone and done a fool thing by taking a delivery he was making for Joe and using it for himself. He was lucky Joe didn't kill him right there and then, but Merle assured him that he would make up the difference, which was twenty grand. Right now Merle had five grand from the sale of Daryl's bike and some other illegal business ventures he had dallied in, but he was going to need five grand quick. He reckoned he had enough debts owed to him that he could collect on that and it would make up the difference, but the second ten grand was going to be an issue. Maybe if he apologized and crawled back to Daryl he might be able to weasel the balance from Daryl's new girlfriend. It was a desperate shot, but right now it was all he had.

…

Daryl was awoken from his peaceful slumber by the blood curdling screams of Riki in the next room. Though he was a bit disoriented, he grabbed his crossbow (never far from him when he slept at night) and clad only in his boxers and T-shirt he made his way to her room. A million different things were running through his mind as to what was going on in there. He just prayed that whatever it was, that Riki was safe and unharmed.

 **Hmmmm...what's going on with Riki? So what are your thoughts so far on this? Please leave me some reviews so I can get a gauge on where you want to see this story go. Right now Daryl and Riki are fighting off (Or more so Daryl) their attraction to each other. Do you think it will last?**

 **Next chapter Daryl will have his first day at work and we will meet Riki's family, and her surprise relative. Also, we will also get to meet the ex-boyfriend that has been tormenting Riki. Curious if you have figured out who it is yet.**

 **Please stay tuned and I hope to have this updated within the week, but it depends on what my work load is...I'm an accountant and it is year end so things could be crazy.**

 **Thanks for reading and I look forward to hearing from you.**

 **Merry belated Christmas and Happy New year-**

 **Missy**

 **XXOO**


	4. Chapter 4

**This took forever to update-I'm so sorry. A lot of backstory on Riki and her family in this chappie.**

Riki's head was hurting and her stomach was flipping and she was fighting everything she could to open her eyes. Opening her eyes meant she would see light, and right now light would hurt…a lot. She felt the bed move and a small smile crossed her face. Did Daryl sleep with her last night? She remembered bits and pieces, but she was pretty sure she remembered him kissing her on the forehead, but hell, she might have dreamed that. Bravely she opened her eyes to see two sets of eyes mere inches from her face. Without warning she screamed and jumped out of bed, terrified. Unfortunately, her screams terrified the little kittens in her bed and the small gray kitten arched his back and began to hiss while the little black and white kitten skittered off the bed and into a corner under a chair. To make matters worse Daryl appeared within seconds clad only in boxers and T-shirt, carrying his crossbow. Shit, this was not how to start off a day with a severe hangover.

"Oh Shit" were the first words out of Riki's mouth as she stumbled/fell out of bed to comfort the kitten she had just traumatized.

"It's OK little man, I'm so sorry" She said as she made her way to the little black and white critter and picked his little trembling body up and began to comfort him. She slid down on the floor, a little unsteady on her feet and began to coo to the kitten. Within a few seconds he was cradled against her chest and sound asleep. She looked up to see Daryl still standing there like a deer in headlights.

"Sorry Daryl. I didn't mean to wake you up." She whispered.

"Ain't a big deal…Just thought someone had gotten in and was after ya. I reckon the little creatures scared ya. Kinda funny." He said trying to hold back a smile.

"If my head wasn't killing me so badly I'm sure I would find the humor in all of this too." She said as she made to stand up on her shaky legs. Daryl reached down and offered her a hand as she continued to hold onto Lucky. Finally on her feet she placed Lucky against his brother and made her way to the kitchen.

"I need a Bloody Mary." She mumbled to Daryl.

"Ain't gonna do ya no good…just prolong things. You need a big glass of ice water and some aspirin. Flush the alcohol out of your system." Daryl informed her.

"Bloody Mary sounds better. Shit, I might drink all day." She told him.

"Then you will feel like hell all day tomorrow. I've got myself through plenty of hangovers with water, aspirin, and junk food. Just follow my lead girl and we will get through this." He told her.

"If I didn't feel so fucking bad I might enjoy the thought of you standing here in your boxers a little more." She mumbled as she shaded her eyes from the light coming in the window. Daryl bristled a little when he realized he had never been this uncovered in front of a female while he was still sober. Thankfully he had a shirt on.

"Mmm…I'm gonna get dressed and start breakfast. Meet me in the kitchen and bring Oscar and Lucky…then need to eat." He told her.

"Fine." She said as she let out a hiss of pain.

…

Daryl had pulled on jeans and a black T-shirt and was hard at work cooking a hangover friendly breakfast for Riki. It was carb laden and nice and greasy at the same time. He had poured her a large glass of ice cold water and placed two aspirin for her at her seat. Riki had taken a quick shower and made her way to the table, wearing nothing more than a tiny pair of cotton shorts and a light pink T-shirt while her hair had been thrown up into a clip on top of her head. The first thing Daryl noticed was she wasn't wearing a bra. He wasn't sure if she did it on purpose, or if she was just that comfortable with her body, but the woman oozed sexuality and was always throwing temptation his way. He might have gotten a peak of her pert nipples, but he wasn't going to let that distract him. No matter how bad he wanted it, he would never allow himself to cross that line with her.

She flopped down in a chair and took in the sight before her. "I haven't ever had anyone make me breakfast before, unless you count calling room service and charging it to me." She said, in an almost sad voice. Daryl could tell that she had been used by a lot of people in her past, yet for some reason she still trusted him.

"It ain't nothing. Figure you wouldn't feel like cooking this morning." He said in an almost mumble.

Riki looked at Daryl intently. He had a pair of the most piercing blue eyes she thought she had ever seen on any man in her entire life. He didn't speak much, but his eyes expressed what he was thinking, whether he was aware of it or not. She hadn't known him very long, but she could tell by his eyes if he was angry, nervous, or thinking. She decided she would keep that secret to herself. Based on his expressions currently, she could tell he was thinking.

"So Daryl, Whatcha thinking about this morning?" She asked as she reached out and touched his hand.

Daryl was caught off guard with the question. He couldn't come right out and say "her". That just wasn't and would never happen. He decided to just give her a shrug. Fortunately for him her phone rang and he was saved from answering her at the moment.

"Hello"

"Erika, I expect you for dinner and Sunday mass today." Thomas Thornton didn't hold anything back…no formalities.

"Daddy, I've got plans today." She said, trying not to let her voice sound nervous.

"You're right, you do. You will be here for Sunday Mass and then dinner with the family. We have some things we need to discuss, more specifically why I saw photos of you digging through a trash bin in a back alley in the wee hours of the morning. What are you trying to do to this family that you haven't done already? The last thing I need is for someone to accuse me of allowing you to go homeless." He bellowed over the phone loud enough for Daryl to hear. Daryl opted to bow his head and try not to acknowledge the awkward conversation Riki was having with her father.

"Dad…Please, I don't feel well this morning." She begged.

"I don't care Riki. I want you dressed appropriately and at Our Lady of Lourdes in ninety minutes. It's the least that you can do. You actions from last night were all over the news and tabloids this morning, and I want to know what the hell you were doing with that biker looking fellow?" He yelled.

"We'll discuss it later daddy. He's a friend who's done quite a bit to help me out." She said, not giving her father the specific details.

"Don't make this a problem Erika. I've cleaned up too many of your messes in the past." He screamed before slamming the phone down. Riki just sat there looking like a kicked puppy. Daryl could tell she was upset.

"Look, if me being here is gonna cause a problem for you with your daddy, then I can figure something else out." Daryl told her in earnest. She shook her head no and raised her hand so he would stop talking.

"Cigarette…Now." She said as she inhaled the food on her plate and headed out to the back porch. The morning was overcast and a little cooler than she expected and Daryl noticed her shiver as she sat down in one of the chairs on the balcony. Without a word he got up and returned with a blanket and handed it to her. He then noticed she was crying.

"Hey…none of that shit. Don't let anyone get to ya like that." Daryl said trying to be supportive but knowing he was clueless when it came to comforting people.

"You don't understand Daryl. I think I'm an independent adult and then my father calls and I'm a helpless little kid. He continues to bring up all of my past mistakes…and trust me he had to bail me out of more than one issue, but that was a long time ago. It fucking sucks that I can't stand up to him." She said wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

"It won't a piece a cake with my old man either. I left when I was eighteen and ain't seen him since. Hell I don't even know if he's still alive, though I think Merle keeps in touch with him and he'd let me know if the asshole kicked the bucket." Daryl said to her with traces of anger in her voice.

"What happened? I mean with your father?" Riki asked him.

"It don't matter now and I ain't discussing it." He told her emphatically. Riki made a mental note not to bring up the subject of Daryl's father again. Obviously there were some deep-rooted resentments there and she didn't want to stir the pot.

"Sorry…I didn't mean to bring it up." She told him.

"I didn't mean to snap at ya, it's just something I don't want to talk about. The past is the past." Daryl said, knowing full well that he relived that fucking past every single day.

A banging on the front door broke the awkwardness. "What the hell?" Riki said as she got up to see who was knocking on the door. Daryl followed because the only person's who had access to the penthouse without knowing the code were Building Security and Public Service. Anyone else who wanted to reach the top of the building had to be buzzed in by Riki.

Riki opened the door and Daryl saw an Atlanta Police Officer standing there. He had thick wavy black hair, olive skin, broad shoulders and menacing brown eyes. A pretty boy who obviously had his nose broken a few times. Riki huffed "Shane, I told you I didn't want to see you ever again and I don't appreciate you using your code to get up here unannounced."

"We need to talk Erika." The man said emphatically.

Riki looked at Daryl "Hey, can you give us a few? I'll join you for a smoke in a few minutes, this won't take long." She said as she turned to the Officer. Daryl reluctantly went out to the balcony and lit up a cigarette. He didn't want to eavesdrop on Riki's conversation, but something about Cop left Daryl with a feeling of uneasiness. It was a combination of the guy's arrogance and the fact that Riki didn't react to him well. So he decided to listen to the conversation in case things went too far and he needed to intervene.

"You've got five minutes" Riki snapped at him.

"You're right, this won't take long." Shane replied in a snarky tone.

"What is it that you had to bring yourself all the way over here?" Riki asked hoping to get this awkward exchange over with.

"What the fuck are you doing Erika? Shane bellowed at her.

"Excuse me? Who the fuck do you think you are Mr. Walsh? Hmmm? You think you can burst in here and start demanding things from me? I think not." She screamed back at him.

"I see you spiraling out of control Riki. Dumpster Diving, and now hanging around with White Trash like this asshole?" Shane said pointing to Daryl. Daryl heard him, and fought with ever fiber of his being not to burst into the house and beat the shit out of the lawman…but he thought about Riki and decided so far she was holding her own.

"Oh don't give me that bullshit Shane. That man is Daryl, and you will refer to him as such. He has more class in his little finger than you have in your entire body. He has been nothing but a proper gentleman and has protected me better in the short time I've known him than you ever did in our relationship." She attacked.

"Riki I want you back. I don't want you throwing your life away on deadbeats like _**Daryl**_ " he replied sarcastically.

"You can want me, but you can't have me. I wanted a real man Shane, and you were nothing but a fucking player who used my money and me. How many 'indiscretions' did you have while we were together? Hmmm? I lost count Shane. Did you ever tell your partner you were fucking his wife? And what about the whores at the bar, the lawyer? What was her name…Andrea. Oh yeah, can't forget her. You blew your chance Shane, and there won't be another. So take your ass out of here and leave." Riki screamed.

Shane reached out and grabbed Riki's arm and that was enough for Daryl to leave the balcony and enter the condo. "Hey mother fucker…take your hand off of her or you are gonna wish you were dead."

"You threatening me? Do you know what the punishment for threatening a lawman is _**Daryl?**_ " Shane teased back.

"And I reckon you wouldn't have any problem explaining why you were putting hands on a lady without her permission…right _**Shane.**_ " Daryl snarked back.

Shane let out a hiss and dropped Riki's arm. A visible relief crossed Riki's face. "I'm leaving, but I'm going to have my eye on you." Shane said as he pointed at Daryl. "Riki, take care of yourself…but I am not giving up on us."

"Shane there is no 'Us'. I need you to accept that." She said in a pleading voice.

"No, you're wrong and no matter how long it takes, I will prove that to you." He said as he turned and walked out of the door.

Riki let out a swallowed sob. "Could this day get any worse?" She asked out loud to no one in particular. Daryl walked over to her and did something he wasn't comfortable with; he pulled her into an embrace. He was stiff in his actions, but his heart was in the right place.

"Trust me, it could. Let's have a smoke and then I think you need to get ready to meet your family for church." Daryl said, trying to offer her a bit of comfort.

They went out and had a final smoke before Riki disappeared to get ready for her family meeting. Daryl cleaned up the kitchen and flopped down on the couch with the remote in his hand. There wasn't any reason to not take advantage of the top-notch television and surround sound and since he was pretty much broke he didn't have anything planned for the day. He had already found himself in a reality television program about moonshining when Riki emerged from her bedroom.

Daryl couldn't believe the change in Riki's appearance. He had only seen her dressed in something sexy or barely there, but this Riki looked like a political candidate. She had on a pink pencil skirt that hit her below the knee and sleeveless white blouse. Any signs of her tattoo were completely covered up and Daryl noted she had on a matching set of pearl earrings, bracelet, and necklace. It was a very conservative look, especially for Riki. She was carrying a matching pink suit jacket and had on a nude pair of heels to finish off the outfit. Her hair was pulled back in an upsweep and pinned with a pearl comb. Her makeup was minimal but flattering and Daryl found himself staring at her natural beauty.

Daryl went to say something but Riki raised her finger and gave him a look to tell him to think hard before he said anything.

" I was just gonna say you look real nice and lady like." Daryl told her.

"Oh, just what every girl wants to hear from a handsome man." Riki quipped back as she made her way to the liquor cabinet and poured herself a shot of vodka.

"I ain't your boyfriend, so it shouldn't bother ya none." Daryl barked at her.

"I didn't say you were, it's just not my comfort zone. I hate looking like this…this is how my parents expect me to present myself, and if feels fucking confining. I can't even smoke in front of them without my father lecturing me. This is going to be the most absolutely miserable Sunday ever. Cheers!" She said as she lifted the shot of vodka to her mouth and downed the shot.

"You're just gonna prolong your hangover." Daryl warned.

"Fuck it…I don't care. This is just to get me through the next few hours. Maybe my mother will serve wine with dinner. You know us Thornton's 'only the best will do'." Riki said in a mocking tone.

One thing was for sure, that a hung over Riki made for a very bitchy Riki. Daryl wanted to do everything in his power to avoid her wrath.

"Do the church thing, eat dinner, and then tell them that you have something work related to do. Then you can come home and relax…maybe we could watch a movie." He said, trying to put her in a better mood.

"We'll see." She said grabbing her purse. Without thinking she turned and placed a kiss on Daryl's cheek and then gave a quick cuddle to Oscar and Lucky. "Here goes nothing." She said as she gave a final wave and walked out the door.

Daryl could still smell her heavenly scent still wafting in the air as she left. His cheek still tingled where she had just placed her soft lips on him, but he could tell that the more he got to know Riki, she was much more complex than he had originally believed. The worst part about it was, he was actually concerned. Never in his life had he given a shit about anyone other than him and Merle, and now this girl was invading his every thought. The wall that always surrounded his heart was starting to crumble, and that scared the hell out of him.

…

Riki showed up at the church just as mass was beginning. She threw some holy water on herself, genuflected, and then took her seat beside her cousin. She was thrilled that her beloved cousin Rick was with the family today. Unfortunately, so was her conniving brother Gareth. Of course, Gareth was seated beside her father and grinning like a Cheshire cat. When Riki sat down her father gave her a stern look then tapped his watch, letting her know she was late. That man never gave her a break.

Of all the people in the family, Rick and her Grandfather Richard were the closest to Riki. Rick's mother Ella Thornton was her father's younger sister, and she had married Samuel Grimes and opted to not participate in the family business. Where as Burgess respected her decision to put family before business, Thomas thought she was a fool for throwing away the opportunity to grow the family fortune. Rick's father was the Chief of police in Hiram, Georgia and had died in an auto accident when Rick was fourteen. Two years later Rick's mother succumbed to cancer and Thomas took Rick in to live with them until he was eighteen. At that time Rick went to the Police Academy and became an officer. Now he holds his father's previous position of Police Chief in Hiram.

Rick met and Married Lori Bates shortly after finishing up at the academy and they soon had their son Carl. During Rick's rookie year as a cop he was partnered up with Shane Walsh, also just out of the academy and the two of them became close friends. Shane became the brother that Rick never had and after Carl was born he referred to him as "Uncle Shane".

Two years earlier Rick was shot in the line of duty and was not expected to survive. Riki was devastated by the idea of losing her cousin and the family held vigil at his bedside, praying for a miracle that he would survive. It was at this time that Shane took advantage of a lonely and scared Lori and the two began to have a discreet affair. It was also at this time that Shane and Riki began to date.

Shane was handsome, and his genuine concern for Rick touched Riki deeply. He was a smooth talker and very different than the other assholes Riki had dated in the past. He could be both comforting and assuring at the same time, and when he spoke to you, it was like you were the only person in the world who existed. Riki fell for him hard and fast, and before she knew it, they were living together and making plans for the future. That was until she went out of town on business and returned early to find none other than Shane and Rick's wife fucking in her bed. At this point Rick had fully healed and returned to work, but even after Lori knew Rick would survive, she continued to pursue the relationship with Shane. To make matters worse, Riki found out Lori wasn't the only person Shane was seeing while he was dating her, and he was using her money and resources to wine and dine the other women. Riki was devastated and went into a deep depression, and then that depression turned into anger (and even a possible bit of vengeance). At first she put all her efforts into her position at Thornton Industries, but after a life changing conversation with her Grandfather she re-focused that anger into something good. That was when she decided to open the community center and through all of her anger and determination she turned her efforts into helping those whom really were in need. This is when Riki learned how far from reality she had lived her life, and she began to appreciate real people.

When Riki found Lori and Shane together, she knew there was no way she could avoid letting Rick know what was going on. It had been a painful phone call to make, but she knew Rick deserved better than to have a wife that was making a fool of him. If Rick had not survived the gunshot wound, Lori stood to inherit Rick's millions of dollars. To know Rick you would never know he was a wealthy man, as he chose to live a comfortable yet humble life. Lori on the other hand was always begging him to "live a little" and splurge. Occasionally he would break down and take her on an exotic vacation, but for the most part he told her that they didn't need the cash at this point in their life and the funds were there for emergencies, retirement, and Carl's College fund, and eventually Carl's inheritance.

To make matters worse the week after the affair was exposed, Lori found out she was pregnant. A DNA test was performed when little Judith was born, and it was determined that Rick was the child's father, not Shane. Rick immediately fought for custody of the little girl and won, and had been raising his two children on his own. Fortunately he had a good support system to help him out while he was working and had hired a nanny to assist with Judith.

The divorce was ugly between Rick and Lori, but she still managed to be a decent mother to the children. Lori had asked for an astronomical amount in spousal support (even though Rick had custody of the kids) but was denied because Rick had been smart enough to get a pre-nup before they married. If there was one bit of good advice that Thomas had given Rick, the pre-nup had been a blessing. Rick did agree to pay Lori enough to support herself, put herself through school, and a little extra each month so she wasn't destitute, but she was far from happy. In her mind she thought she could get enough to live lavishly, keep Shane, and never have to work again. That fairy tale fell flat and not only did Lori have a ferocious anger towards Rick, she also blamed Riki for 'blabbing' her personal business. Lori took absolutely no responsibility in her actions, and to be honest, Riki wasn't surprised. In fact, Lori seemed to take a bit of pleasure knowing she had 'won' Shane from Riki. What she didn't know was that Shane had continued to desperately try to get back in Riki's good graces. Even after Rick removed Shane as his partner, Shane would try to justify that Rick wanted the two of them together. Riki wasn't stupid though, and she continued to tell him to leave her alone, but he continued to still come around and it was getting unnerving.

…

After the church service Riki stood up so she could sneak outside and smoke a cigarette before she had to head over to her parents home. Before she could make it out the door, Father Gabriel found her.

"Erika…It's been a while." He said giving her a soft smile.

"Yeah…the Center has been keeping me busy." It was true, but not to the extent that it would keep her from Mass.

"It's been a while since your last confession, maybe you should consider stopping by the confessional." He said…almost as if he knew something.

"Um Thanks, I will get to that as soon as I can." She said, feeling awkward and wanting that cigarette doubly as bad as she did just a few minutes ago.

Quickly she made her way out of the church to her Navigator, only to be met by Rick before she could leave.

"You're not gonna bail on me today are you?" He asked.

"I don't think I have that choice. Daddy made it perfectly clear I was expected at dinner. Thought I would get out of here a bit early, grab a smoke and them meet at the estate." She told him.

"Riki, are you OK?" He asked concerned.

"I'm fine, just dreading this dinner. I can't wait to hear what he is about to bitch at me for." She told him.

"If he gets out of control, I'll protect ya." Rick said, reaching out and placing a comforting hand on her arm.

"Thanks Rick, I may need ya today. Dad's having a tizzy about some media post that showed up this morning…I'm sure I am up for quite the lecture." She told him.

"Don't worry…you got me Riki." Her cousin told her. Riki gave him a smile and then began to pull out of the parking lot, lighting up her cigarette as she drove to the Thornton Estate.

…

Riki was a nervous wreck when she arrived at the family home. She knew there was no way she would be leaving there without a confrontation with her father. Just to give herself a bit of courage she picked up her cell phone and called the one person she felt she could trust these days, Daryl.

"Riki?" He answered. She had programmed his phone so her name would show up with a cute pic she had placed in his photos.

"Hey Daryl…I know this sounds crazy, but I just wanted to talk to ya before I go have dinner with the family. I needed to hear your voice as a little pick-me-up." She told him.

"Uh…OK." He said, not knowing how to reply. It was purely Daryl and for some reason, that tickled Riki to no end.

"You don't like to talk on the phone do ya?" She asked, curious to see how he answered.

"It ain't that, not used to doing it is all. No one really ever wanted to talk to me other than Merle." He confessed.

"What are you up to? Miss me?" She asked in a teasing manner.

"Just sitting here watching TV. A man could get used to this HD shit." He told her.

"Well there are plenty of left overs in the fridge for lunch. We can decide what to do for dinner later." She told him.

"Hate to tell ya this, but their ain't much pie left. I kinda helped myself to it already. Hope you don't mind." He said.

Riki started laughing. "No, don't mind a bit. I'll be home in a few hours. Wish me luck."

"You'll be fine…it's your dad not the law. If he gets to be too much of an asshole just leave. You're an adult and he can't hold ya against your will." Daryl said trying to be supportive. He sucked at this comforting stuff and he knew it.

"Thanks Daryl. I'll keep that in mind. See ya in a bit." She said as she hung up the phone.

Daryl hung up as well, and a few butterflies were flipping around in his stomach as he wondered why of all people she would call, that she chose him. His resolution to not fall for her or to get involved was starting to weaken, and he didn't like this lack of control of his feelings. He took a deep breath and fell back into the soft couch and continued to watch some reality TV show about restoring old cars.

…

Dinner was uneventful and uncomfortable, just as they always were for Riki. Her mother babbled on about society bullshit, and then Thomas and Gareth discussed business. Gareth was the VP of marketing, and he was doing a decent job. The problem was, Gareth wanted to be the Chief Operations Manager and Thomas refused to allow Gareth to take that position. Gareth needed more experience, but Thomas secretly hoped that Riki would come to her senses and take the position herself.

Even though Riki had taken a while to settle down in her mid twenties, she eventually had come to work with her father at Thornton Industries. She was a fast learner and a shrewd businesswoman and Thomas was impressed with her ability to understand and close lucrative deals. He referred to her as his secret weapon. Anytime he was having trouble trying to close a contract with a client, then he would call in Riki. Once she was in on the negotiations with the client they would agree to almost any terms, and she was closing deals at a record pace. Riki's intelligence, charm, and beauty made her a triple threat and an asset that Thomas wasn't willing to part with.

After Riki had caught Shane and Lori together Riki was working twenty-hour days and that little spark that made Riki special was starting to fade. It was her grandfather Burgess who finally pulled her aside and had a conversation with her that changed her life.

 _ **Riki was at the weekly family dinner when her Grandfather told her he needed to speak with her when they were done eating. She had always been close with him and didn't think anything about his request. The man was in his upper eighties these days and was wheel chair bound and suffering from emphysema. However, he was still a tough old man with a sharp mind, and though his body was betraying him, his mind was not.**_

" _ **What's on your mind Grampy?" Riki asked the older man. They had locked themselves in her father's office so they could speak privately.**_

"I'm worried about you kitten. I wanted to tell you a story, and when I finish, maybe you will understand." The older man said.

" _ **I'll always listen to what you have to say…you know that." She assured him.**_

" _ **Good girl. As you know, everyone calls me Burgess, but I was born with the name Richard. I think you knew that's how they came up with the name Erika for you. If you were a boy they would have called you Richard as well. That honor fell on your cousin Rick." He said giving a laugh.**_

 _ **He then continued "My entire life growing up everyone called me Burgess and that's who I was. I never really had any formal education, but I was smart and could figure things out. You're great grandfather, my daddy, was a tobacco farmer and I saw him working himself near to death for very little reward. That's when I decided I would do something different and I began to learn about distributing tobacco to other markets and how to actually make cigars and cigarettes. It seemed pointless that I would follow in daddy's footsteps and grow the golden leaf and then take it to market and sell it for pennies of what it was really worth. That is how Thornton Industries got its start. By the time I was twenty-five years old the company was making money hand over fist and I was working every free minute I had. You're father had been born by this time and I missed his birth because I was traveling for business. It was like I came home one day and he was three years old. We never got to spend those first few years bonding, and I deeply regret that. It was at this time in my life I realized that Burgess no longer existed and that Richard had taken me over. I had lost my true self."**_

" _ **So what did you do?" Riki asked him.**_

" _ **I hired someone to run the business for me so that I could spend more time with the family. Ella was born shortly thereafter, and she was the apple of my eye. I tried to get that closeness back with your father, but all he would say even as a small child was he wanted to be just like me and run a big company one day. I guess in that sense, he succeeded, but you know how driven he is. Ella was offered the same opportunities that Thomas was, but she wanted to become a wife and a mother, and that was what she did. Thomas always wondered why I allowed her to go down that path and I tried to explain to him that all I wanted was for my children to be happy. He said the only way he could ever truly be happy was to be successful in life. He was driven, but not by the same things as Ella." Her grandfather told her.**_

" _ **Do you think he will ever change?" Riki asked in earnest.**_

" _ **He has changed some over the years. He still loves the business more than anything, and we can't deny he has been successful at growing the company into an empire. We will all be financially taken care of for the rest of our lives, even Gareth and his mother Mary, But his family values are a bit skewed. I do know he loves you and your mother. Keep in mind, she was only eighteen when they got married and you came along nine months later. She's stronger than you give her credit. Thomas has his flaws, but they are also assets. He is painfully truthful about everything and he speaks his mind. It can be quite intimidating, but he never leaves any doubt where he stands." He told his granddaughter.**_

" _ **Ugh…He is so damn hard on me all the time." Riki commented.**_

" _ **Look Riki, the reason I wanted to have this conversation with you is that I see Riki fading away and Erika is taking over. Erika isn't you…it's who your father wants you to be, but I don't believe for one moment that you are happy. You are gifted with your sense of business, but it isn't filling the hole you have inside of you right now. I want you to think long and hard about what will make you happy in life…and honestly, I don't think doing what your doing now is the answer. You've got to let Riki make decisions, not the Thomas Thornton version of Erika. Do you understand what I'm telling you?" He asked her.**_

 _ **Riki thought for a moment, and it was like a light bulb went off in her head. "I hear you loud and clear." She told her grandfather, and then gave him a giant hug.**_

 _ **That night Riki went home in tears, but not tears of sadness and heartbreak, tears of joy. She swung by the office and removed her personal belongings from her desk, and then called her father and resigned her position in the company, leaving her now, as only a board member required to only attend quarterly earnings meetings. The next day she set out to find a place to set up what she really wanted to do…set up a place for people who really needed help. Maybe she could help make a difference in this world. If not at least she could say she tried.**_

…

Riki thought she had made it through the dinner without getting lectured by her father, but that was too much to hope for. After the staff had come around to deliver everyone their desserts, Thomas cleared his throat and addressed Riki.

"Erika, the reason I had you come over here today was to address this 'situation' that has come up with you climbing through dumpsters in the company of a man who is…let's say…not of your breeding."

"What am I dad…a horse? Breeding…Really, What are you trying to say?" She challenged, she knew damn well where this was going, but she wanted to make it as difficult on him as possible.

"Fine, I'll come right out with it. I was very disturbed to wake up this morning to see photos of my daughter all over the paper and the news climbing in dumpsters with some hoodlum. Is that clear enough for you?" Thomas yelled.

"Clear as fucking rain." Riki shouted.

"You will not take that tone or speak that vile language in my presence, do you understand me?" Thomas chastised.

"Last time I checked I was an adult _Daddy_ and I can speak any fucking way I want too." She screamed. At this point Gareth took the time to chime in on the conversation.

"Riki you need to calm down and act like an adult for once."

"You don't get to tell me what to do Gareth, and don't act like you care. I know there is nothing you would like more than to have me completely out of the picture, so let me make it easy for all of y'all…I'm done dealing with you people." Riki shouted.

Thomas slammed his hand on the table, making everyone jump "Erika Marie if you don't get your life together I will cut you off financially and we will see just how far you can make it." He threatened. Gareth couldn't fight the smile on his face at his father's threats.

Riki's mother Kim finally spoke up "I think everyone is just a little stressed out, how about we talk about the party we are having next month. It is sure to be the social event of the season."

Riki looked at her mother like she had grown a second head "Mother you are so clueless, I don't think now is the time or the place to discuss a fucking party."

"Don't you speak to your mother like that Erika. I am sick and tired of you whoring yourself around Atlanta. I thought we had gotten past that, but apparently I was wrong. You have chosen to surround yourself with low-life indigents and hang out in the ghetto and you are making a mockery of this family and our values." He bellowed.

"Our family values? You want to judge me about family values? Like fathering a child with the nanny? Yeah dad, great family values." SLAP. Before she could even finish the statement her father had smacked her hard across the face, causing Burgess to shout at Thomas and Rick to step in to pull the man off of Riki while attempting to keep Burgess in his wheel chair.

"I think this conversation is over. Riki get your things and I will follow you home." Rick told her. Riki didn't speak; she just took her purse and walked out the front door towards the Navigator parked in the driveway. Her hands were shaking so badly she couldn't even get the key in the ignition. Rick finally came over, opened the door, picked her up and carried her to his car.

"You're in no condition to drive. I'll call a service and have your car delivered to your condo garage." Rick told her. She simply nodded. Tears were flowing down her face, and her left cheek was swelling where her father's hand had hit her.

Riki didn't say much on the drive back to the condo. Finally as they got closer she burst out crying…more like sobbing.

"Rick I'm not a whore. Daryl is a good man that I met by accident the other day. Some asshole slipped a roofie in my drink and Daryl intervened and got me home before the fucker could rape me. He's in a tough family situation and I'm helping him out. He's also going to be the new maintenance manager at the Center, and that isn't an easy task, especially since the job does not pay that well. He's helping me and I'm helping him. The reason we were in the Dumpster last night was because someone had abandoned some kittens and we heard them. If we hadn't retrieved them out of the trash they would have died. I swear to you it's the truth." She said.

"Riki, I know you wouldn't lie to me. It seems like this Daryl guy is a decent person, but I don't want to see you get hurt." He said to her in a concerned voice.

"Rick, he's more than decent. I've flirted with him and teased him, but he has been nothing but a complete gentleman towards me and shown me nothing but respect. I know he's had a tough go at things in life, but he isn't a jerk. He might now say a lot verbally, but his actions prove to me that he can be trusted. It just seems so ironic that my father would rather see me with an asshole like Shane, even after everything he did to me and you, and would never even try to accept someone like Daryl." She said, crying a little harder.

"Well if your father wouldn't like him, I like the guy already." Rick joked, trying to calm down his hysterical cousin.

"Rick, Daryl has already shown me more kindness in the few days I've known him than Shane ever did in the time I was with him." She confessed.

"Riki, are you falling for this man?" Rick asked sincerely.

"Kind of…but he's not interested in me like that, at least he hasn't expressed it. But I think he keeps everything buried down deep. It's almost like he is afraid of happiness. I can't pinpoint it, but I think he might have been abused coming up. He's briefly mentioned his father and wanting to get away from him, and I think it has something to do with his upbringing. It's not my place to ask, and if he wants to talk about it, then he can do so on his own time." Riki told her cousin. She knew that 'Kind of' falling for Daryl was a stretch…she had already fell for him, but based on Daryl's lack of reaction to her advances she figured he wasn't interested in her romantically.

…

Daryl was almost asleep on the couch when he heard the front door open and Riki came bursting in with a man he had never met before. He could tell she had been crying and there was a large red handprint swelling on her face. Immediately Daryl stood up to challenge the man following Riki, assuming he was the one who had hit her.

"What the fuck did you do to her?" Daryl yelled at the man.

"I didn't do anything to her. You must be Daryl though; she said a lot of good things about you. Her father hit her and I brought her home because she wasn't in any condition to drive. By the way, I'm Rick Grimes, her cousin." Rick said in a calm voice reaching his hand out to shake Daryl's and trying to diffuse some of the anger that Daryl was displaying.

Daryl accepted the handshake "Does her father hit her often?" Daryl asked, anger for what happened to Riki seething inside of him. Someone as kind and caring as Riki didn't deserve to be hit by anyone, ever.

"Not that I'm aware of but I'm not sure. They had a heated argument at the dinner table and Riki stood up to her father…his response was to backhand her across the face. No one expected it to happen, and I took Riki away from there immediately." Rick assured Daryl.

"Is the son-of-a-bitch still breathing." Daryl asked.

"He is, but if Riki wants to file charges against him, then I will help her do so. At the time she was in shock and wasn't thinking straight." Rick told him.

"Are you a cop?" Daryl asked.

"I'm the Chief of Police of the city of Hiram. I'm sure you've heard Riki speak of Shane Walsh, he's my former partner. After what happened he was let go and now he works for the Atlanta PD." Rick informed Daryl.

"Yeah, I had the pleasure of meeting the asshole today." Daryl said.

"Look, right now Riki needs a friend…can I trust you to look out for her?" Rick asked.

Daryl nodded. "She's been helping me out of a bad situation…I'll do what I can, but I ain't good with all the comforting shit."

"I think she just needs to know you have her back, and if she needs to talk, you will be there to listen. Riki's relationship with her father is strained at best, and after today, I don't know if there will be a relationship anymore between the two of them. Riki has had her share of struggles and missteps in life, but this wasn't anything she did wrong. It was nothing but Thomas trying to control her and realizing he couldn't. For now I think it is best that she completely avoids him, and everyone else in the family except for Burgess. The man was so angry that he tried to get up out of his wheel chair to go after Thomas, and if he had been physically able too, he would have killed his own son. Riki's grandfather loves her more than life itself and when Thomas reacted the way he did, Burgess lost it." Rick told Daryl.

"Why didn't you hit the bastard?" Daryl asked pointedly.

"I've got a daughter and son to think about, plus it wouldn't look good for the Chief of Police to assault his Uncle. Trust me, I wanted too, but at that point my best option was to get her out of there." Rick admitted.

"Yeah, I get it. Thanks for bringing her home. Do you need a ride somewhere?" Daryl asked.

"No, I brought her home in my car. I called a service that will pick up and return her vehicle to the garage by morning. Daryl just keep an eye on her. Riki has a tendency to go to a dark place occasionally and when she does, the outcome is never good. She can be quite self-destructive." Rick warned.

"I'll do what I can." Daryl told him.

Rick gave Daryl a pat on the shoulder, then gave him a business card. "If things get too bad, or you need my help, give me a call. I appreciate all you are doing for her. Daryl, she won't admit it to me, but she cares for you deeply. She's been fucked over by just about everyone in her life, please don't hurt her."

Daryl wasn't sure how to respond. Hearing things like Riki caring for him, and then Rick begging him not to hurt her were strange to him. "I promise to look out for her…that's the best I can offer right now." Daryl mumbled.

"That's all I can hope for Daryl." Rick said as he offered a final handshake and left.

…

Daryl was left standing in the middle of the main living area not really knowing what to do. He decided to wait a few minutes and then he would check on Riki. That was when he realized he hadn't heard any noise or movement coming from her room and he became concerned.

Daryl knocked on her door, but there wasn't any answer and a slight panic overtook him. He remembered Rick saying Riki could be self-destructive, and he began to wonder if he meant she could be a danger to herself. Daryl had always thought it was ridiculous that people who had money could have real problems, but knowing Riki and seeing all she had to endure to please both her family and others he realized he had been wrong to think that. In fact, it appeared that having money made someone's life even more difficult. You never knew if someone wanted to be close to you because they genuinely liked you, or they wanted to use you for what you could do for them. He hated to say it, but at this moment he felt sorry for her.

"Riki…I'm coming in." He said as he turned the doorknob and walked into the room. He didn't see her at first, but he could smell cigarette smoke. He found her sitting on her bathroom floor with her knees pulled up to her chest and a cold rag on her face where it was swollen. Several cigarette butts were floating in the toilet and her eyes were red from crying.

"Hey now girl, we can't have you crying like this." He said as he stooped down in front of her and pulled the rag from her face so he could see the swelling.

"Between your black eye and my swollen face they are gonna think we got in a fight." She whispered to him, letting out a slight laugh.

"Well you know, I got a reputation to keep woman." He teased her back. "Stay right here and I will get something that will work on the swelling a little better." He told her as he got up and ran to the freezer, pulling out a bag of frozen peas. He returned and gently placed them against her cheek.

"Thanks Daryl." She said softly, the life in her seemed completely drained.

"Riki, no man should ever put a finger on you, especially your father, has he done this before?" Daryl asked in a concerned voice.

"A couple of times, but not recently. He can't stand it when I talk back to him. I should have never provoked him, this is my fault." She sighed.

"No it ain't your fault. Any respectable man would know how to control himself. I don't give a damn how rich he is. He's your Daddy and he had no right to do this." Daryl said trying to convey to her that she wasn't responsible.

She looked at Daryl and then she hid her face in shame. She was weak, just like her mother and the pity that he was showing her made her feel worse.

Seeing her like this was breaking Daryl's heart. Without thinking he scooped her up bridal style and carried her to the bed in her room. He laid her down gently, and did something he had never done before... He lay down beside her and pulled her against his body. Oscar and Lucky found themselves cuddled up against the couple and he held her tightly and let her cry. The two of them stayed like that for hours until they both fell asleep emotionally spent from the darkness of the day.

 **I'll keep this short and sweet...Please leave me a review and feel free to ask questions. I was going to bring in Daryl's first day of work in this chapter, but it was getting WAY too long. Next chapter Work, and Merle...Merle is going to play into this story quite a bit...there may be some redemption in Daryl's big brother...and maybe a little Romance.**

 **Review Review Review...Pretty please with sugar on top.**

 **Cheers-**

 **Missy**

 **XXOO**


	5. Chapter 5

Daryl heard a buzzing sound that startled him from his sleep. He didn't want to wake up from the best sleep he had in years, but that buzzing wouldn't stop. Slowly, he opened his eyes and realized the warmth his body felt was Riki snuggled in against him. The buzzing was the alarm clock on her nightstand. Shit, it was Monday morning and they needed to get up and go to work.

"Riki…Riki wake up." Daryl said as he gave her a light shake. Daryl had never woken up with a woman before, and he always thought it would have been awkward, but with Riki it felt natural.

"Hmmm?" She moaned. Daryl never heard anything so sexy before in his life. Just that simple moan coming from her throat. Oh shit, he had morning wood and realized it was pressed up against her backside. He swore he felt her every so subtly grind back against him, but it just could have been her moving and not quite aware he was there with her.

"We gotta get up." He told her. Finally her eyes opened and she rolled over to get a good look at him. His hair was disheveled and his eyes were still slightly drooping, as he hadn't completely woken up. It was then that all the events from the previous day and evening came flooding back into her memory.

Lucky and Oscar were awake chasing every movement under the covers of the blanket they could. Riki reached down and pulled the kittens to her, giving them each a little kiss on the head. She turned to Daryl, who miraculously was still lying beside her and spoke "Thank you Daryl. You have no idea how much what you did for me yesterday means to me."

She batted those big brown eyes at him and he felt his face flush, but not out of embarrassment, it was out of desire. "Ain't nothing, you needed a friend and I wanted to offer that to ya. Your face don't look that bad either." He said softly.

"Um…thanks," she said laughing. "I promise to make it up to you." She told him. She was a little put off that he 'friend zoned' her, but he did hold her close the entire night, and that had to mean something.

Both of them rolled out of Riki's bed and headed to the showers. Surprisingly, there wasn't any awkwardness that Riki was sure Daryl would have towards her. If he was feeling regret about cuddling her for the night, he wasn't showing it.

Daryl pulled out his work clothes and threw the clothes he had been wearing all night to the floor and strutted into the shower. The hot water felt soothing on his body, and his arm and shoulder were a bit sore from holding onto Riki all night long. He couldn't believe he had actually spent the night holding a woman in his arms, let alone someone as beautiful as Riki. However, Riki needed him and he convinced himself that the only reason he had done it was because she had been so generous towards him. Deep down he knew it was a lie and that he actually wanted to hold her closely. He was falling hard for her…hell, he had already fell and this was uncharted waters for Daryl. He knew he stood no chance with the woman, but he could at least try.

Daryl emerged from his bedroom after his shower clad in a pair of black cargo pants and a gray work shirt. Riki was already dressed and was sitting at the kitchen table watching the news while sipping a cup of coffee. Her long hair was still damp and fell in ringlets across her shoulders and down her back and she was dressed in a fitted white T-shirt that bore the logo of the center and pair of jeans tucked into cowboy boots. Nothing about the way she was dressed screamed 'Socialite' and Daryl admired her natural beauty. She had thrown together a quick breakfast of biscuits and sausage and had a plate waiting for Daryl.

"I made you a cup of coffee, but I didn't know how you took it." She told him pointing to the cup on the table.

"Black is fine." He told her as he took his seat and began to eat.

"We will need to park behind the building this morning to avoid the media and the protestors when we get to the center." Riki told Daryl.

"I ain't gotta hide from no one" Daryl said adamantly.

"It's not hiding Daryl…but unless you want to see yourself on the six o'clock news tonight it's the best way to handle things. These moron's from Alexandria don't realize just how bad they are hurting people in the name of 'their good community'." Riki said sadly.

"So do ya just let them stay out there all day and you don't do or say anything?" Daryl asked, curious as to how she handled the negative press.

"Sort of…I let them stay out there and make asses out of themselves, and towards the end of the day I finally let the media into the center and let them see all the good we are doing. By the time I'm done with them we are the 'feel good' story of the week and the people of Alexandria come off as a bunch of uncaring snobs." She informed him.

"That's fucking smart, but then again it's you coming up with the idea I shouldn't have expected nothing less. Don't ya get nervous talking to the press?" Daryl asked her in earnest.

"Oh hell no. Hell, as long as I'm not the story, I'm glad to do it, especially for the Center. That's why I'm going out to San Francisco Wednesday morning. I'm going to speak at a Gala to bring awareness to domestic abuse and homelessness. It's actually gonna be televised if you want to watch it. There will be a lot of celebrities and shit there, and I'm hoping to pick up some sizeable donations for the Center." Riki told him.

"Fuck all that, ain't no way I could do it. I can barely speak to people I know, let alone talking to an annoying reporter." Daryl told her. Riki let out a laugh at his honesty.

"So now you see why we go in through the back entrance. Here is what you will deal with today, when we get to the Center I will introduce you to Rosita…she runs everything. Now just a warning to you, she is very blunt and outspoken and she just got back from Mexico with her boyfriend late last night…so if she seems a bit grumpy, just ignore her. She is my right hand at the Center. Rosita will take you through your paperwork. Once you are done with the paperwork, she will take you around and introduce you to everyone and show you the building. She will save the best for last and turn you over to Axle. We had a visit from the Fire Marshal last week and we have some code violations that we have been given ninety days to correct, so Axle can go into more detail about that for you. I want this center to be top notch Daryl…that is why I hired you. Whatever you think needs to be done, then we will get it done. It if means you have to hire someone else to assist you and Axle, then you do that. I am trusting you to do the right thing." Riki said to him in a serious tone.

"Yes ma'am…can't say anyone's ever had this much confidence in me." He admitted.

"Well I do, and I'm a good judge of character." She told him. "I've got a weird question for you Daryl…do you have a passport?"

Daryl snorted "Ain't never been out of fucking Georgia, why would I need a passport?"

"Just wondering is all…I'm gonna talk to Rosita about helping you get one. Once a year I like to take the staff on a vacation, and this year I was thinking about a ski trip in Vancouver." She told him.

Daryl let out an audible laugh "I don't see myself ever going down a mountain of snow with six foot boards strapped to my feet. Woman have you lost your mind?" He joked.

"Daryl, none of us can fucking ski, that's what makes it fun. We are from Georgia after all." She replied back.

Daryl just stared at her like she had grown a second head. To Daryl, vacation had meant he could stay an extra day camping in the woods without Merle. Now she was talking to him about leaving the country to go on a ski vacation. He knew that getting there would most likely not involve driving a vehicle either…they would be flying. And who knew whom he would be sharing a hotel room with. Daryl didn't do well with strangers, though he did enjoy himself the other night with those he met at the bowling alley. In a matter of days his life had changed drastically, and he wasn't sure how to react.

Riki sensed Daryl's apprehension "Don't fret Mr. Dixon, it wouldn't be for a few months and by then you will be so comfortable with everyone at the center you won't know what to do."

Daryl laughed at that "Ain't never really been comfortable with anyone, including Merle." He wanted to add that she made him feel better than anyone he had ever met, but the words wouldn't form on his lips. His thoughts were disturbed when Oscar and Lucky began to have a wrestling match across the top of his feet.

"Hey you two, there will be none of that." Riki said as she bent down under the table to pick up the little critters.

"Reckon I will leave 'em some food. I'll change their boxes tonight when we get home from work." Daryl told her.

"I'm going to call the vet and see if he can stop by one night this week to check them out and give them their shots." She told him.

"Vet's make house calls?" Daryl asked surprised at her statement.

"They sure do. I used to have a Chihuahua and I got to know Dr. Jamison really well." She told him.

Suddenly Daryl felt a tug of jealousy about Riki's revelation of how well she knew the vet. Did she mean in the Biblical sense? He had to pinch himself to curve the little anger he felt. Who was he to judge her about her past relationships…hell even her future ones. He had no claim on her, though now he was beginning to wish he did. Was the idea of them together as a couple an impossibility? She seemed to cling closely to him last night as he held her, but was it because she was desperate and lonely? No Riki wasn't desperate, because she was alone by her own choice. Any man would be lucky to have her as a…girlfriend? The term girlfriend seemed so trivial when dealing with a woman like Riki Thornton.

…

Rick was sitting at his desk going through paperwork on some new cases that had come across the wires. He had felt like shit since delivering Riki home yesterday and had to fight everything he had to turn around and let Thomas know what he was really feeling. Thomas had done all he could to control Riki over the years, and no matter what she did, it was never good enough for him. As a result Riki had made a lot of mistakes in her own life in the past and Thomas did a good job of hiding those mistakes away. However, deep down, Rick new his cousin was full of regrets and had one very dark secret that she had carried for almost twenty years. Other than her parents, Rick was the only one who knew about it and that was only because Riki had disclosed it to him once when she was extremely drunk and he had to retrieve her from a bar when she was involved in a fight.

He looked at his phone and saw he had a message, so he punched in his code to listen to his voice mail.

" _Rick, this is your Aunt Kim. Have you heard from Riki? I'm worried about her and she isn't returning my calls. Thomas feels absolutely horrible about what happened, and I know he will find it in his heart to apologize, eventually. Please just let me know if my daughter is OK."_

Rick just shook his head. Thomas would never apologize, and he was pretty certain that Kim had not actually called Riki. Kim avoided confrontation like the plague, and most likely figured the safest way to check on her daughter was through Rick. He hated to admit it, but he felt a little used. Thomas seemed to destroy everyone he touched, and Burgess had tried for years to get his son to understand the importance of family, telling him of the mistakes he made in his past, but Thomas wouldn't listen. As a result Riki was a mess and Gareth was a clone of his father, maybe even worse. Gareth held a lot of resentment towards Riki, especially since she would gain a much larger portion of the company when her Grandfather, and Father passed, than he did. He would always live with the stigma of being the bastard son, and no matter how much he tried that title would always follow him around.

Rick was brought from his thoughts at the sound of a throat clearing. Looking up from the paperwork in front of him he was presented with the person he wanted to see the least of anyone in the world. Shane Walsh.

"Fuck…this day keeps getting better and better." He said.

"Yeah, good to see you again too." Shane bit back.

"Why are you here? I was hoping I didn't have to deal with you anymore." Rick admonished.

"We gotta problem Rick and I am asking your help." Shane said as he sat down in the seat aside of Rick's desk.

"What kind of problem Shane? Is there anything else in my life you need to destroy." Rick asked in a gruff tone.

"Fuck you man, can't you let it go. How many times do I gotta tell you I'm sorry for what happened. It was a mistake."

"A mistake that happened over and over again and destroyed my family, and hurt Riki too." Rick reminded the smug asshole sitting beside him.

"Riki's the reason I'm here. What do you know about this Daryl Dixon that she has shacked up with her?" Shane asked.

"Not much, just that Riki thinks a lot of him and he seems harmless." Rick told Shane, not that it was any of his business.

"Well, he's not harmless." Shane said in an angry tone.

"Does he have a record or any warrants?" Rick asked, now a bit concerned at what Shane was telling him.

"No, but his brother and father have record a mile long. Brother's been in and out of the Pen a few times for dealing, theft, aggravated assault and the likes. The father, Will Dixon, did a few stints in jail for public drunkenness, theft, and assault. The mother died in a house fire when Dixon was young and the older one, Merle, was in Juvie. Social Services intervened and removed the boy to foster care, but he was returned a few weeks later." Shane informed his former partner.

"Fuck Shane, just because he comes from a rough family doesn't mean he's a bad guy. Jesus, you came from a good family and look how you turned out." Rick said, getting in a dig any chance he could.

"I'm getting sick of your shit Rick. I came here because I was concerned about Riki, but since it seems you aren't going to do anything to intervene, then it looks like I'm going to have to take matters into my own hands." Shane threatened.

"Leave them alone Shane. You've done enough damage to Riki for one lifetime. Daryl isn't a bad guy and you need to trust Riki to make her own decisions. She isn't your problem to worry about any more." Rick said.

"Should have known you would be a pussy about this Rick. That's why you lost your wife and why your cousin's life is in danger. You don't know what it's like to be a real man." Shane said angrily.

Rick stood up quickly and before he knew it he and Shane were standing chest to chest and nose to nose. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

"I suggest you leave here now…and don't return ever again." Rick said through gritted teeth while anger and tension rolled off of his body.

"Whatever man. Your loss." Shane said in a snarky tone as he turned to leave. That fucking smirk he always wore shining across his smug face.

Rick let out a deep sigh and flopped back into his desk chair. Somehow he knew Shane was going to cause trouble for Riki and Daryl, and other than warn Riki, there wasn't anything else he could do. Shane would use his connections as a law enforcement officer to make their life hell and unless Rick could prove it was abuse, there wouldn't be any recourse.

…

As they pulled into the parking lot of the Community center, the people of Alexandria were already protesting in full force. Daryl let out an audible snort at the group gathered around the front of the center. Ralph Lauren Polo shirts, designer jeans, expensive jewelry…these people had no idea what it was like to be one of the individuals that relied on this center to give them just one simple chance at life. A chance to become someone who pulled themselves up by the bootstraps to get out of the poverty and desperation that they had known. To say that these protestors made Daryl angry was an understatement. It just proved all of his misgivings about those people who never knew what it was like to wonder when they would eat again. He knew that feeling all too well…there were times when he was younger that he went days without eating because his deadbeat father forgot to buy groceries. Daryl wished that the mountains of North Georgia had a community center like this…but he had nothing and no one to help him out. That was when he learned how to hunt and it was the beginning of his self-reliance. It made him stronger in many ways, but weaker in other ways. This was why he was so damn emotionally stunted, because he never had anyone to rely on. For as long as he knew, it had always been Daryl Dixon versus the world.

Riki noticed the set jaw that Daryl now possessed and could tell he was effected by the protesters. "Daryl, don't let them get to you. I got this under control." She assured him.

He gave her a nod and a grunt and the two exited the vehicle and headed into the back of the building. Daryl could still hear the shouts of the protestors outside, but he did as Riki suggested and ignored them. She then led him in the back door of the center and took him to the front desk.

The blonde from the other night, Beth was going over some schedule issues with a very attractive dark haired girl at the desk. Beth looked up and saw Daryl and Riki, and without thinking her eyes grew wide and she ran over to Daryl and gave him a hug.

"I'm so excited about you working here with us." She exclaimed, blushing. Daryl stood there stiffly not knowing how to react to the pretty little blonde's show of affection.

"Thanks" he grunted out.

Riki gave Beth a strange look, but didn't say anything as she bounced away from Rosita's desk and headed towards her classroom. They could all hear her singing down the hallway.

"She's always in such a fucking good mood. You would think that girl's happiness made the sun rise every morning." Rosita said.

"God I missed you." Riki said as she hugged the sharp-tongued woman.

"Yeah, I missed ya too. I needed to talk to you so bad, but I couldn't get cell service down in Mexico and I landed late last night and didn't want to wake you up." Rosita said.

"Well this is Daryl, and he has agreed to take the job as our new maintenance manager." Riki said as Rosita extended her hand and gave him a firm handshake. Rosita then looked at Riki and a smile crossed her face.

"What?" Riki asked.

"Nothing. Guess I should tell you that Abe dumped me last night before we flew back. He informed me the trip was a last hooray and he was reconciling with his wife Ellen." Rosita told her. Daryl just stood there looking around the front lobby at anything that would distract him from the girl talk he didn't want to take part in.

"Damn Rosie girl…I am so sorry. Are you OK?" Riki asked truly concerned for her friend. Rosita and Abe had a tumultuous relationship at best, but Rosita love the man and it pissed Riki off that he would take her all the way to Mexico and then end things.

"I'm fine I guess. Should of known something was up because he hasn't touched me in the past month." She admitted. Daryl suddenly wanted to disappear. This was not a conversation he ever needed to hear.

"We'll talk later Rosie. I need you to get Daryl started on the paperwork, and then I need you to find out what he needs to do to get a passport. Vancouver will be here before we know it." Riki told her.

"God I can't wait. Maybe I can meet a good Ole Canadian man and get over this shit with Abe." Rosita told her friend.

"Or you could try being single for a while and realize what a good catch you are. Any man would be lucky to have you." Riki told her friend.

"Yeah, yeah…whatever. Come on Daryl, let's get you started." Rosita said as she led Daryl to a table and sat down with a folder full of paperwork for him to fill out.

…

Rosita collected all of Daryl's paperwork, made a copy of his driver's license and social security card and then took him on a tour of the center. Riki had gone to her office to participate in a conference call with some possible donors so she wasn't able to show Daryl around herself.

She introduced Daryl to everyone they came across. Theodore Douglas, or T-dog as he was known to everyone, was the head chef and also drove the van to pick up homeless men who would gather in different parts of the town. They would come in at night, and leave first thing in the morning and Riki made it abundantly clear that they would only be allowed in the center if they were sober. The only time she made an exception was during "white flag" season, which meant the temperatures were exceedingly cold and she worried about people freezing to death.

Beth taught the smaller children music, while Glenn maintained all of the communications and IT systems around the center. There was a bank of computers set up in a small library that allowed the teens to apply to colleges and financial aid, and the older individuals could look for employment opportunities.

Sasha and Maggie were both social workers, so they were responsible for helping to decide who met the criteria for being able to stay in the center's semi-permanent housing. There was room for four families, but currently there was only one family in the dorm. A woman named Carol and her teenaged daughter. When Rosita showed Daryl the dorms, she stopped short of allowing him into the female dorms. "No men allowed in here unless you are doing some sort of maintenance or repair, and to enter we have to clear out anyone that is staying here. State rules we need to follow." Rosita informed him. Daryl nodded in agreement.

She showed Daryl where the medical station was set up and Bob gave Daryl a thorough handshake, and confirmed how glad he was to have him on staff. "Dr. Denise Cloyd is our physician, fresh out of medical school. She comes in around mid-day so she can be here when they start bringing in the over-nighters. For a lot of the homeless Bob and Denise are the only medical care they get. Denise will even go out on the streets during her off-hours to try to help those in need. It's not the safest thing in the world, but she feels committed to the cause." Rosita told her.

He met a lot of other people as Rosita took him around. She explained they also had a night shift that was made up of mostly volunteers and that Sasha's brother Tyreese headed it up. "The volunteers that come in and help are priceless. We have several local companies that send groups of people over a few times a week, and between our regular full time staff and the volunteers we make it work. Of course, no one here is getting rich, and most of us could make a lot more money somewhere else, but the true reward is seeing the faces of those we help." Rosita told him.

Daryl gave a nod "Not a lot of folks willing to do this huh?"

"Nope, we've been looking for someone to fill your position for months, but the salary has kept a lot of people away. You don't know what a blessing you are to us." She said, giving him a smile that caused Daryl to blush.

He wasn't used to all these compliments, but he was trying to be gracious in what everyone told him. He wanted to change…to be seen as more than redneck white trash, but was that possible. If others could believe in him, why couldn't he believe in himself?

"Ain't nothing, I needed a job and this one seemed like a good fit." He told her in a soft gruff voice.

"Well whatever it is, we are lucky to have you." She said as she gave him a pat on the back. One thing was or sure, and that was that Riki had a lot of nice people working for her. She truly did seem to be a good judge of character. How she ever ended up with Shane Walsh baffled him.

"Last but not least we are going to meet Axle, so buckle up and hold on." Rosita said letting out a laugh.

She led him to the maintenance work area and he took a look around while she called out for Axle. He appeared from the back storage room, grinning like a crazy man. The front of his shirt and hands were orange from the bag of Cheetos he was eating from and when he saw Daryl, he quickly began to wipe his hands on his work pants and then extended it out to Daryl.

"Please to meet you sir. It's going to be an absolute pleasure to work with you." Axle said in an exuberant voice.

"Um yeah, nice to meet you too." Daryl said limply reaching out and shaking the man's junk food stained hand.

"I am so glad to finally get some help in here. We have tons to do around this place, and I don't have all the skills you need to handle it. Mr. Dixon you don't know what a blessing you are." Axle told him, once again causing Daryl to blush.

"I'm going to leave you two now. I've got a volunteer up front and with the fucking protests going on outside I have to make sure she hasn't let the press in." Rosita told them as she excused herself.

Daryl stood there for a moment and then looked at Axle. "You got a clipboard around here I could use? I want you to take me around and she me everything, and I'm gonna make a list of what needs to be done."

"Yes sir, that is a good idea." Axle told him as he scavenged up a clipboard, paper, and a pen and handed it to Daryl.

The two men walked around the center and Axle pointed out the things he knew were wrong and needed to be corrected, and Daryl made extra notes at items he found to be a concern. It took them about two hours to go through everything and Daryl looked up at a clock and realized that it was now early afternoon. As if on cue, Riki showed up and asked Daryl if he was ready to take a break. He nodded and the two of them slipped out back and made their way to the designated smoking area. Daryl noted how nice that it was set up with a covering, nice chairs to sit in, and an abundance of ashtrays. He was used to the smoking areas being tucked away from everyone's sight, usually somewhere near a Dumpster or a back alley. This had Riki written all over it.

"I try to keep this area maintained as much as possible. We get a lot of people through here that smoke, and I don't want them feeling like second class citizens. Plus, I pop out here regularly too, and the least I can do is make it comfortable." She told him.

Daryl nodded at her, not missing the fact you could still hear the protestors out front. "How long do you think they will stay?" He asked.

"Until they get what they want, which is me to go out and address them or do something stupid so that it creates a blurb on the evening news. Don't worry though, I've got this under control." She said offering him a sweet smile. She was beautiful, and her standing there with a slight breeze blowing her hair, smoking her cigarette did things to Daryl he couldn't push aside. He had never met anyone like her, and he didn't think that he ever would again.

"Let's grab lunch in the cafeteria and you can tell me about your day." She told him when she finished her cigarette. She stood up and led him back into the building.

Daryl couldn't remember the last time he had an honest to good hot meal for lunch, and the meal that T-dog had prepared for everyone didn't disappoint. Fried Chicken, Mashed potatoes, Green beans, and pound cake were on the menu for the day, and Riki let out a laugh when she saw how Daryl shoved it all down. "I didn't realize how much you liked good 'ole country cooking Daryl."

"This shit is good…can't remember the last time I had a lunch like this. Of course, your cooking is even better." He told her so she knew how much he did appreciate the food she prepared for him.

"T-dog is a trained chef, and he knows how to cook a lot of food for a little money. We are fortunate for the donations we receive, and even more lucky with having someone as talented as T-dog to fix it for us." She told him.

"Yup." Daryl said, still shoveling food into his mouth. When he was done, He looked up at Riki, and she couldn't help but notice the big smile on his face. She realized that Daryl had an appreciation for the small things in life, not dissimilar to a lot of the individuals that were down on their luck that came through the center. She didn't know much about his life, but she could tell there was a lot of hurt and pain in his past. She was glad she had found him, because she needed him in more ways than one.

"Hey, you got a little something…" she started, as she took her napkin and wiped a bit of potato from the corner of his mouth. He blushed upon the contact, but nodded a thank you.

"I ain't got the best table manners. Sorry." He said looking down. His face was flushed and Riki knew she had embarrassed him and she felt bad. What she didn't realize was her soft touch had sent tingles through Daryl's body, and he was doing everything in his power to keep his body in check.

"You're table manners are fine Daryl. I'm happy to see you enjoy this food." She said offering him a reassuring smile.

"Thanks." Daryl replied.

"So tell me what you have been working on today." She said.

Daryl went over the list of items that he had determined needed to be repaired, and then he had mentioned some things he could work on that could improve the comfort of the center.

"I'm gonna go through the inventory cage and see what we have to work with and go from there." He informed her.

"If you need any materials, let me know and I will give you my credit card so you and Axle can purchase the supplies. I want this place to be top notch, and I don't know if Axle told you, but I am really concerned about the inspection in ninety days. We have to get those violations corrected so we don't get shut down." She said.

"Yeah, he told me. He is a chatty individual. I know more about his momma and his personal life in the short time I've known him than I think I know about you." Daryl commented.

Riki laughed "To say Axle is an open book would be an understatement."

"He's nice though…he keeps calling me 'Sir' or 'Mr. Dixon'. Makes me feel like an old man." Daryl said, once again causing Riki to laugh.

Her laughter was quickly ended when they heard the sound of breaking glass coming from the front lobby. Daryl, Riki, and the others ran out to the lobby to find a large rock had been tossed through the glass of the front doors. Riki bit her lip, not looking particularly happy and turned to Daryl "Guess you need to add this to the top of the list."

Anger was visibly rolling off of Daryl. His first instinct was to run outside and confront whoever had done this, and give them a proper ass kicking, but Riki had told him not to give into the assholes.

"Riki, do you want me to call the police?" Rosita asked.

"No, they have enough to contend with and no one was hurt. We'll get it fixed, but I think I'm going to call in Morales early to beef up security." She turned to Daryl "He's our night time security guard, but he's flexible and it might not be a bad idea to have him here."

"Just the one guy?" Daryl asked, concerned for the safety of everyone in the building.

"It's all we can afford, and I'm paying for it myself." She admitted.

"Don't make no sense that more folks don't want to help out. Instead we got these assholes out here protesting 'cause you're doing something good. Fucking pisses me off." Daryl told her, his face flushing in anger.

"Sometimes it's easier for people to put their head in the sand and pretend that poverty doesn't exist. That's why they don't want this center here. This place is a reminder to them that bad things exist, and they don't want to deal with it." Riki told him.

Daryl didn't disagree with her and reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about this mess, I'll handle it. Just make sure you get your security guy here, I don't want anything happening to anyone in this place because of those assholes." Daryl told her doing his best to reassure her that everything would be OK. After spending less than a day in the center, Daryl felt that this was his place too, and he would do whatever he could to make it better and safe.

…

Daryl was going over the inventory with Axle when Rosita and Riki showed up and told him that there was someone up front who wanted to speak to both he and Riki. Daryl's first thoughts were that it was Shane Walsh trying to start some shit. To say he was surprised to see none other than Merle standing out front was a bit of an understatement.

Merle was standing there, dressed better than Daryl had seen him in years, and most importantly, he was stone cold sober. This was a rarity that had Daryl's interest peaked, and by the look on Rosita's face, her interest was peaked as well.

"What do ya want?" Daryl asked in a terse tone.

"Hey now, aren't you glad to see me?" Merle asked.

"I don't know about glad, but surprised for damn sure." Daryl replied.

"I came by to see if you and your friend here would like to come to the house for dinner Saturday night. If you would answer your damn phone sometime I wouldn't have had to come down here. It's a rough crowd out there. I gotta say though, the scenery is much nicer inside." Merle said pointing towards the protestors, and winking towards Rosita, who actually lit up at his comment.

Daryl immediately told him 'No' while Riki spoke louder "We would be glad too Merle. What time?"

"Six, will that work?" He asked, actually shocked that she was willing to come over while it was Daryl who was refusing.

"Perfect, we'll see you then. Is there anything you would like me to bring?" She asked. Merle thought about saying 'yeah your checkbook' but instead he just smiled graciously and told her not to worry about a thing.

"Let me escort you out." Rosita said, giving him her prettiest smile.

"Shit." Riki whispered as Rosita led Merle out of the building.

"What did you do that for and what's wrong?" Daryl asked.

"Look Daryl, maybe he's realized he fucked up and is trying to do better. He needs you in his life, and whether you agree or not, I think you need him. He is your brother and it's obvious y'all have a close bond whether you admit it or not. It can't hurt to do this." Riki said offering him a voice of reason.

"You might be right, but Merle doesn't usually do things out of the goodness of his heart. He's got another angle in there somewhere. I know him." Daryl told her.

"Maybe so, but we've got bigger problems. I can already tell Rosita's got her eye on him. He's her type, and when she wants something, there isn't any stopping her." Riki informed him.

"Shit is right. Merle was checking her out too, and she is his type as well. This can't be a good thing." Daryl told her.

They both looked at each other and then started to laugh. What else could they do?

…

Merle had been clean and sober for three days and he had to admit, it had been a long time since he had felt this lucid. When he had sold the only possession that Daryl cherished to pay off a fucking gambling debt he knew he had hit rock bottom. The look of hurt on Daryl's face was too much to ignore. Sure, Merle did what he always did and passed the guilt to Daryl by implying it had been his fault when he chose to look after Riki instead of helping him pull a job, but he knew it was just an excuse. That job wouldn't have made a dent in the amount that Merle owed the asshole.

When Daryl told him he was done, Merle finally realized he had pushed his baby brother as far as he could. He and Daryl were so different, and Merle tried everything he could to keep his power over Daryl, just like their father had done before him. The sad thing was that Daryl was so different than he and his father, yet he didn't know it because neither of them let him know it. Daryl cared about people and that made it easy to take advantage of him. Yeah, Daryl could be a stubborn hard-ass, but compared to the other Dixon's he was a saint. Daryl was smart, had done well in school until he was forced to drop out at age seventeen so he could get a job when Will did an eight month stint in jail and Merle was away at the State Prison. When Merle found out he was furious, but there wasn't anything he could do. It was just one of the many mistakes that the older two Dixon men made that helped to destroy Daryl's chances of ever getting out of poverty.

Daryl had always been responsible, but instead of Will being proud of him, he resented his youngest son. He was a constant reminder of his failures as a Father, Husband, and a man, and when Will took to the bottle, which was almost constant, he took that anger out on the boy. Daryl was a small skinny kid, and easy to dominate. When Will was finally released from jail, the first thing he did was go by the liquor store and then head to the house.

That night when he got home he was furious to find the house spotless, groceries in the fridge, and even sheets on the beds. When Daryl came in from work, Will was already drunk, and started off the argument by reminding Daryl of how much of a pussy he was for "doing women's work" around the house. He violently attacked his son, nearly beating the boy unconscious, but somehow Daryl found and inner strength and fought back. Daryl knocked his drunk father unconscious, packed his few belongings, and left Chickamauga, Georgia for good. That was the last time Will had seen or heard from his son, until the other day when he caught a blurb about Daryl and Riki on the news. It took him less than five minutes to place a call to Merle to find out what was going on with Daryl.

Merle had still kept in touch with his father after all these years, but the subject of Daryl never once came up. Merle felt he was protecting his baby brother from their asshole of a father, but there was also a selfish part of Merle that wanted to keep Daryl to himself. He controlled his brother's every move, either directly or indirectly. At one point when Daryl was in his early twenties he had started to take classes at the local community college to get certified in HVAC. Daryl was doing well until Merle needed cash one day to buy a fix, and he showed up at the college higher than a kite. He marched himself straight into Daryl's class and caused a scene, both embarrassing his baby brother and then starting a violent fight with the professor that had asked Merle to leave. In the end, Merle did three days in jail and Daryl was told he was no longer allowed at the college. Once again, any chance Daryl had to get himself out of their dismal life was shot to hell.

Now with Merle being sober, he was re-living every shitty thing he had done to Daryl. The end result was a brother that was both emotionally stunted and destined for nothingness. Merle was taking responsibility for this, and it hurt like hell. The final realization of it all was when Daryl finally told him he was moving out. Merle thought there was no way he could do it, especially now that Daryl didn't have any transportation, but that damn rich bitch stood up for his baby brother, and offered him something Merle never could, opportunity.

So after their fight in the yard, Merle marched into the house, sat down on the couch, and began to think. He knew there was absolutely no chance that anything would come out of Daryl's relationship with the socialite. Daryl didn't know how to have relationships with anyone other than Merle, and Merle wasn't even sure if Daryl had ever been with a woman. There were plenty of women who tried to hook up with Daryl; after all, he was a good looking man, but Daryl didn't know how to react around them. He had heard many stories of bar whores complaining that Daryl had turned them down, and then rumors started that Daryl might be gay. Merle knew that wasn't true, Daryl liked women, he just was terrified of them, and well to be honest, never really felt worthy enough to go after one. He damn sure wouldn't touch any of them bar whores, and Merle figured it was his own bouts with STD's that made that decision easy for his younger brother. But damn, just once he wanted his brother to feel some sort of sexual pleasure that didn't take place with his own hand.

So Merle decided that it was time for him to get his shit together and try to finally be the brother that Daryl needed. The first thing he needed to do was sober up, and then he needed to take care of a few loose ends, the biggest being getting Joe paid off for the damn Twenty grand worth of drugs that he had stolen. Merle was supposed to flip it, clean the cash, and return it to Joe, but instead he went on a three week bender and not only used half the drugs, but hadn't bothered to collect the cash he was owed for the other half. Fortunately, he had spent the previous day 'collecting' what was owed to him, and at least had half the money. He was hoping that Saturday he could convince Riki and Daryl to lend him the other half. Daryl knew how serious the situation would be if he didn't pay back Joe, and felt confident his brother would help convince the girl to help him out. Once he had Joe paid back, Merle was convinced he was done with drinking and drugging. He would get a legitimate job, and then hopefully he could convince Daryl to move back home. He wouldn't be able to get his bike back, he didn't have enough money for that, but they could at least share the truck to get around.

When Will called yesterday morning suddenly inquiring about Daryl's well being Merle knew that the son-of-a-bitch had seen Daryl on the news with Riki. Suddenly Will was crying about how much he missed his baby boy and after all these years they needed to let the past go and that he had 'changed'. The only thing that had changed about Will Dixon was that he was now much feebler and couldn't physically beat his boys like he used too. Merle told him he hadn't heard from Daryl and if he did, he would pass along his good wishes. Will's attitude changed and the phone call ended with Will hanging up abruptly.

So Merle got up that Monday morning, pulled out some half way decent clothes hidden in the back of his closet, and decided to pay Daryl a visit. It didn't take him long to figure out where Riki worked, and he assumed that she most likely would give Daryl a job. So he gambled and headed towards the center and sure enough his hunch had been right.

He invited his brother to dinner, and even though Daryl said No, Riki had agreed. That gave him a glimmer of hope that the girl might be breaking through Daryl's emotional walls. He knew if she was truly interested in Daryl, she was going to have a tough fight ahead of her, but Damn Daryl deserved some sort of happiness.

The bonus of his little excursion was the hot as hell chick that ran the place with Riki. She had shown an interest in Merle the minute he walked into that front lobby. Merle had to fight through the crowd out front to enter the center. He also had told more than one of the asshole protestors to fuck the hell off when they started shouting at him about how much the Center was destroying their 'better way of life'. These were the people that Merle despised most in the world; fucking sheep is what he always called them. One man even made a weak attempt to step forward to challenge Merle, but Merle stood tall and the man backed down immediately.

When little Ms. Rosita greeted him with that hot body and those pearly white teeth, Merle thought his dick was gonna bust through his pants. She looked like one of them models in the girly magazines he kept under the bathroom sink, but she had a lot more class. She smelled like expensive perfume and had a voice that could melt butter. When he asked to speak to Daryl and Riki, she was more than obliging, and returned again flashing him that pretty smile of hers. The best part was that after he talked to his brother and the socialite, Rosita escorted him out to his truck, and then slipped him her number. She told him she would love to meet him for coffee sometime. Redneck whores don't meet for coffee, but women of class did. So Merle gave her a wink and told her he would call her later that night. Maybe this being clean and sober shit wasn't gonna be so bad after all.

…

Riki's plan to talk to the media went brilliantly. She told them about the Center and gave them a tour and even introduced them to several of the employees, including Daryl. They managed to get a few words out of him when they asked him why he had chosen to work at the Center when there were better job opportunities elsewhere. He simply told them "because I know what it's like to be hungry and these people deserve a chance." Riki couldn't have been more proud of him.

After blowing away the press with her interview, the media lost interest in the protestors and now had changed the story to one of human interest. She had accomplished what she wanted and Daryl was taken back with how well she handled everything. She was like a shining star.

When they finally left work to head back to the condo, Daryl asked her if she wanted to stop by and pick up some dinner, and she told him she had a surprise for him waiting back at home. He wasn't sure what to think, but he trusted her so he didn't ask any questions.

They got home and Daryl immediately cleaned out the litter boxes like he had promised, and then told Riki he was going to take a shower. He was filthy from rooting around in the old inventory room and something about Riki made him want to look his best. There were times when he would go out on a hunt that he wouldn't shower or bathe for a week, and it never once bothered him, but Riki was changing him, and he didn't think that was a bad thing. He suddenly had someone he wanted to be better for.

Daryl's muscles were tired from all the lifting he had done, and he felt a slight headache coming on, but he hoped the hot shower would offer him some relief. As the warm water sluiced over his body his mind went over the events of the day. Merle showing up had taken him by surprise, and Riki accepting his brother's dinner invitation had taken him by even a bigger surprise. He was curious to see what Merle was up too, and seeing his older brother sober for the first time in a long while gave Daryl a glimmer of hope. Maybe Merle was realizing it was time to grow up.

Daryl slipped on some clean jeans and a T-shirt and didn't even bother to put on socks. He felt surprisingly comfortable around Riki, and a part of him wished he could sleep with her in his arms every night as they had done the night before. "Stop kidding yourself Dixon, she was in a bad spot and needed a friend, and that's what you are to her…a friend." He thought back to earlier in the morning when he told her that he was just being a friend that he saw a hint of disappointment on her face, but he had to have been imagining that. He wished they could be more, but there wasn't any way that he could allow it. She would break his heart and then he would lose her completely.

When Daryl emerged form his bedroom he found the table lit with candles and dinner waiting for him. Riki had turned on the news, curious to see the news story on the Center. "I hope we are able to pick up some donations and some volunteers from the story today. That would really piss off those Assholes from Alexandria." She joked.

"What's all this? Did you cook it all when I was in the shower?" He asked surprised at the food laid out on the table. He had no idea what half of it was, but Riki motioned for him to sit, so he obliged.

"I thought you might enjoy a Japanese meal. My guess is you have never had one before." She said giving him a smile.

"Hmmm, what made you think that?" He asked giving her a rare smile.

"We will start out with Sushi and Sashimi" She told him, as she explained the various dishes sitting on the table in front of him. He looked a little skeptical at the idea of eating raw fish, but she told him what would taste good with the different sauces laid out, so he trusted her and tried it. The explosion of the different flavors on his tongue was amazing.

"This shit is good...real fucking good" he told her shoving more into his mouth. He accidentally took a large bite of Wasabi before Riki could warn him, and that sent Daryl for his water glass, gulping down water as fast as he could.

"That's Wasabi, and you only use a little of it. It's got quite a kick." She told him as she fought back laughter.

"Yeah, it's got a kick. It's still good though." He told her, laughing as well.

She convinced him to eat the salad with the ginger dressing, and promised him his manhood would not be threatened by eating a salad. Then he ate some Edamame after she explained that you eat the bean on the inside and disposed of the salted husks. The final course was Kobe beef with rice, tempura vegetables, and some more dipping sauces. By the time they were done Daryl thought he was going to burst.

"I don't know how I'm ever gonna be able to re-pay you for all you've done for me." Daryl told her.

"Seeing you enjoy the dinner is re-payment enough Daryl. I told you I don't have a lot of friends, and having you here, enjoying and appreciating things means the world to me. And then after what you did for me last night, I'd say I still owe you quite a bit Daryl." She said.

The way she said his name made his heart flutter. She said it with such a tenderness and caring tone in her voice. He hadn't heard that since a few years before his mother had passed away. He also had forgotten how much he had missed it.

"I won the food service in a raffle, so you get to pick out your meals all week long while I'm gone to San Francisco. The menu is on the counter and all you have to do is order whatever, and how much you want, and they will bring it to you at whatever time you request it. It's actually not costing me anything." She assured him.

"It's like fancy room service or something." Daryl said, grinning at the idea of having hot cooked food for the unforeseen future.

"Yep, and you can order breakfast and lunch on Saturday. Do you have anything planned while I'm gone?" She asked.

"Got a lot to do at the Center and figured I would put in extra hours trying to get things caught up. Tomorrow I'm gonna call around and price out what we need. I promise to be smart with the spending since I know the Center ain't got a lot of money." He told her.

"Daryl, you don't know how much I appreciate that. I knew I had done the right thing by hiring you. What did you think of your first day?" She asked.

"Everyone's real nice, even Axle. Does Beth always greet someone with a hug like that?" Daryl asked.

"Sometimes. She is probably one of the sweetest and most talented individuals I know. She can sing and play the piano and guitar. A couple of times a month I have her perform for the residence. It seems to soothe them and Beth really enjoys it. Her heart is the size of Texas and I don't think she has a mean bone in her body. Now her older sister Maggie, good as gold but tough as nails. Glenn handles her well though."

They finished up with dinner, and wrapped up the left overs and then moved to the couch to watch the news. Without thinking Daryl pulled Riki up against him and she tucked her feet under her relishing in the comfort of his strong arms again. When he realized what he had done, he momentarily froze, but when he saw that Riki was actually smiling, he let out a breath and just enjoyed her warmth.

"Daryl, I didn't make you mad today when I accepted dinner with your brother did I? I just want to see you two on good terms. He might not have been the best brother, but I can tell deep down he cares for you. It's nothing like the relationship I have with my brother. He hates me, and he doesn't do anything to try to convince anyone any different. It wasn't right for me to do that, but there was something about him that made me think he was really trying." She told him.

"It pissed me off at first, but you have been right about everything else, so I decided just to go with it. Just don't let your guard down around him and we'll see how it goes. It's been a while since I've seen him sober. I will tell ya this, I wouldn't trust him here, He'd probably steal half your shit." Daryl admitted.

"He might surprise you Daryl. But for now, I'll trust your instinct too. You know him best." She said giving him a smile.

They watched the news and Daryl was impressed how the story was presented. He even thought he came across looking less like a redneck and more like a normal person. Yeah, his accent was still strong and he had a hard time looking at the camera, but what he said came from the heart, and that showed in the interview.

After the news they watched a few TV shows and Oscar and Lucky jumped up on the couch to make it a foursome. Daryl was doing his best to stay awake, but being as relaxed and comfortable as he was snuggled on the couch with Riki was making it difficult. He wanted to hold her here like this forever, but he knew they needed to head to bed.

"I reckon it's time to hit the hay." He told her.

"I know…it's just that this has been so nice. I'm not used to cuddling with such a handsome man." She said to him as his face flushed. She took a chance and craned her neck so she could give him a chaste kiss on the lips. Daryl let out an audible moan.

"Riki…I don't think this is a good idea." He admitted to her, scared out of his mind.

"Shhh Daryl, just relax and kiss me." She told him softly.

So Daryl closed his eyes and gently kissed her. He didn't have much experience, but the moan that came deep from her throat when their lips parted and their tongues mingled let him know he must be doing something right. It seemed like their kiss was an electrical shock running through their bodies.

Riki ran her fingers through his hair as he caressed her cheek as they deepened the kiss. Her knees were weak with pleasure and he could feel parts of him light on fire as their tongues continued to explore each other's mouth. Finally, Daryl pulled away gently and stood up from the couch. He offered his hand to Riki and helped her up. Her body was trembling and he knew he was sporting an erection, but he didn't care. Something about this woman made him feel comfortable, and he knew that tonight nothing would go any further.

He led her to her bed, tucked her in, and gave her a final kiss goodnight as Oscar and Lucky snuggled in with her.

"Daryl, I don't want this to be weird for you in the morning OK. This isn't some sort of game I'm playing with you, I truly have feelings for you." She said in a tone that let Daryl know she was serious.

"I got feelings for ya too Riki, but you gotta be patient with me. I don't know how this shit works. But I promise you one thing, for once in my life I don't feel awkward and I got you to thank for that. See ya in the morning girl." He said as he gave her a final peck on the lips and then headed off to his own bed, knowing there wasn't any way he would be able to fall asleep.

 **So sorry about the delay for posting...I promise to get better. I am not totally thrilled with this chapter, but I wanted to get something posted before everyone thought I abandoned the story.**

 **Thoughts? I really really need to hear from you for some inspiration to keep writing. I haven't had a lot of response and I'm not sure if it is because the story is stupid or boring. Please let me know.**

 **I LOVED the Season 6B premier the other night...I won't spoil anything for those of you who haven't seen it, but OMG...lots of things went BOOM.**

 **Please enjoy and if you think about it, leave me a review and let me know what you think, or if you have suggestions. This story is very fluid, and I can always change my ideas around.**

 **Take care and have a fantastic day/week...hopefully I will have a chappie up by Sunday.**

 **Thanks and much love and appreciation-**

 **Missy**

 **XXOO**


	6. Chapter 6

**I apologize for the long time before Updates... I would love to get these out weekly instead of every couple of weeks.**

Riki's alarm went off and she groaned at the thought of having to get out of her bed. The memory of the night before flashed through her mind and she couldn't help but grin. Daryl had finally kissed her, and she enjoyed every second of it. For someone who wasn't very experienced with women, he was an exceptional kisser. Firm but soft lips that made her go weak in the knees. The way he cupped her face as he kissed her made her feel like a teenage girl, but who wouldn't when they had been kissed so thoroughly. She was praying that things would be normal between the two of them this morning, but knowing Daryl he would withdraw from her, or worse…he would tell her he was leaving to go back to live with Merle.

"Stop it Riki- don't over think it." She told herself. Oscar and Lucky looked at her like she was crazy, then they began to wrestle with each other under the blankets, causing her to laugh.

Riki pulled herself out of bed and headed straight to the shower. As the hot water poured over her body she fought the urge to touch herself to relieve the sexual tension she was feeling. Daryl had admitted to her that he didn't have a clue about relationships and that she needed to be patient with him, which meant sex was most likely off the table for a while. And to be honest, Riki had known him less than a week, and she wouldn't sleep with him anyway. She wasn't a slut (well at least she wasn't anymore) and if she had any chance of ever getting things to work out between the two of them, this relationship needed to be nurtured. She was intrigued with Daryl, more so than she had been with anyone. There was a lot of hurt behind those piercing blue eyes, and if Riki could reach inside of him and pull it out, she gladly would. Daryl was full of self-doubt and insecurities and she was going to make it a point to spend every moment she could building him up to his full potential. She could take things slow knowing that if she finally broke those walls around him, the reward of Daryl knowing happiness would mean happiness for her as well.

…

Daryl had barely slept. He felt like things were falling out of his control, and it was causing him to doubt himself even more than he normally did. He spoke honestly when he told Riki he didn't know how to be in a relationship, but that didn't mean he didn't want to be in one with her. When he thought about how quickly things were changing, he could feel his heart racing and his breathing became labored. He didn't even know her a week ago and now he was living in her spare bedroom. He knew it was temporary, but did he want it to be? Daryl had absolutely no game and no charm, and Riki came from a world where other people's opinions of you actually mattered. He knew he came off as aloof and blunt, but if he and Riki were ever together somewhere in public, she could possibly be judged by his actions. The last thing he wanted to do was embarrass her because of his lack of social graces.

Then there was the whole sex thing. Daryl's few times he had sex involved lots of alcohol, slipping out his cock, and thrusting until he got off. No romance and no feelings were involved. He didn't know much about pleasuring a female, let alone someone like Riki who he was pretty sure was much more experienced than he was. Her hook-ups had made the news, and he even vaguely remembered something about a sex tape…but he knew that wasn't how she was anymore. She had grown up since those days a decade ago. He certainly didn't want people to hold things he had done in his past against him. Of course, most of the shit he had been involved in prior was Merle's doing. But that being said, Daryl was an adult and knew right from wrong, but still chose to follow his brother because he didn't really know what else to do. He wasn't proud of his actions in the past, but he knew that Riki wasn't proud of her past as well.

Around five in the morning, after only napping instead of sleeping, Daryl got up and took a shower. He put on another pair of work pants and one of the gray T-shirts that Rosita had given him yesterday that had the Center's logo on the pocket. He gathered up his dirty clothes and made his way to the washing machine and started his laundry. Knowing Riki wouldn't be up for at least another hour, he rummaged through the refrigerator and pulled out some eggs, cheese, sausage, onions, milk, and then found some flour and potatoes and assembled a breakfast casserole. There would be plenty for them to eat, and they could even have some the next day as well. He knew she had to leave for the airport, but he wanted to get up with her before she left and enjoy his final time with her for the next few days. Just the thought of her being gone for four days made him miss her already. He hadn't ever felt this way about anyone, and had decided he would spend as much time working at the Center as possible.

Daryl was outside drinking coffee and smoking a cigarette when he heard the shower turn on in Riki's room. His heart picked up speed knowing he would be facing her in a short while. Then he remembered what she said last night " _ **Daryl, I don't want this to be weird for you in the morning OK. This isn't some sort of game I'm playing with you, I truly have feelings for you."**_ He inhaled deeply on his cigarette and then let himself calm down.

Riki entered the main room and headed towards the kitchen, catching the scent of the breakfast Daryl had made still warming in the oven. She caught a glimpse of him sitting out on the balcony outside the kitchen and opened the door to join him.

"Something smells good." She said as she walked over to him and gave him a kiss. She hoped that any second thoughts he was possibly having would abate as she made contact with him. His hands gently caressed her back as he returned the kiss.

"I was up early, so I made breakfast. There is enough leftover for tomorrow too, so you don't have to worry about breakfast before you leave." He told her in a soft voice.

"You know a girl could really get used to this." She said giving him a smile.

"How so?" He asked.

"A Handsome man, breakfast fixed for me, and good company to enjoy the first cigarette of the day with. Yeah, this is the good life." She said.

"I think some of your family might object to that darling." He said as he let out a yawn unexpectedly.

"Are you tired Daryl?" She asked concerned.

"Didn't sleep to good." He replied.

"Why not? Is the bed not comfortable?" She asked. He just gave her a look, but didn't say anything. It took her a second, and she realized he had spent the night thinking about her.

"Oh." She said.

"Don't worry, I'll get over it. I've had worse things keep me up at night. I was thinking though, do you want me to take you to the airport in the morning?" He asked.

"No…you don't need too. I have to leave out of here at four-thirty to catch my flight and that is entirely too early for you to be running me around." She told him, noticing a look of disappointment on his face. "Unless you really want too." She added, seeing him give her a nod.

"I'm usually up early anyhow. Besides, it will save you the hassle of parking or catching a cab. I can pick you up Saturday too." He said.

"Well that sounds fantastic Daryl. It will make things easier on me. I do have some errands to run today, so if you want to take the Porsche to work, I won't mind. Then if you want to leave for lunch you will have transportation. I have to pick up my gown for Friday night and then tonight I need to pack my things. I took the liberty of ordering us a dinner again for tonight." She told him.

"We can ride in together, I ain't planning on leaving today unless I need to pick up some material and if that is the case I will just send Axle. I wanna spend as much time with you as possible before you leave." Daryl said honestly, but blushing as he admitted his true feelings to her.

Riki swallowed as a big smile crossed her face. She had to fight off the urge to yell out a "woo hoo" when Daryl told her he wanted to spend time with her. Instead she kept her composure. "That sounds nice Daryl. I will pack as soon as we get home and then we can eat dinner and enjoy each other's company. I have to admit I wish I didn't have to go now, but this is an important fundraiser. You can watch it on cable Friday if you want. I am giving the key note address, so that means I will speak last…boring stuff, but important too."

"You're gonna be on TV? Shit woman, I didn't realize how big of a deal this is. Wish I was going with ya to see you do this in person." Daryl said.

"Do ya wanna come? We can make arrangements so you can." She said to him.

"Nah, it wouldn't be right. I just started working yesterday and there is a lot of shit to do so we pass that fire inspection. It's tempting though. Maybe you can call me before you make your speech and I'll give ya a pep talk." Daryl said, laughing at the thought of him giving anyone a pep talk.

"OK…you're on, and when I take the podium, I'll send you a little sign that is just for you. Carol Burnette used to do that at the end of her show each week. She would tug her ear just for her mother." Riki told him.

"You don't have to go to all that trouble. I just wanna hear your speech and I'll be sure to watch." He assured her. She grabbed a piece of paper and wrote down the cable channel and the time that the Gala would be showing.

"Isn't any trouble at all Daryl. Just thrilled that you wanna watch." She replied.

"All this work you do for the Center is a really nice thing Riki. Those people need ya." He said as he thought about adding 'I need ya too' but he held back. Daryl couldn't express his feelings about her to that extent after knowing her for such a short time.

"They need a lot of people Daryl, that's why I am going on television to beg anyone and everyone who can to help. It's all I can do." She said looking him square in the eyes…those intense beautiful blue eyes that he possessed. She could get lost in those eyes.

…

When they arrived at work Daryl went straight to the maintenance room where Axle informed him that they had a bit of vandalism over the previous night. Someone had cut the back fence and spray painted some disparaging remarks about Riki.

"Has anyone else seen it?" Daryl asked.

"Nah, I was the first one here this morning and I cleaned it up. They had put her name up on the wall with 'Whore' and 'Slut' after a few other choice words. Ms. Riki doesn't deserve to have that kinda shit said about her. She's a kind lady who has sacrificed a lot to put this Center together." Axle said as he played with his wild facial hair.

"Don't say shit to no one, I don't want her or anyone else upset about this. I thought security was supposed to be here last night after what happened yesterday." Daryl said, his tone angry.

"I won't say nothing Mr. Dixon, but Morales had a family emergency and couldn't make it in. He's all we've got for security and we run a skeleton crew at night." Axle informed him.

"First of all, you don't need to keep calling me Mr. Dixon, Daryl will work just fine. Second of all, do we have security cameras?" Daryl inquired.

"No security cameras on the premises." Axle replied.

"Do you think you can run down to the home improvement store and pick up some? I can work with Glenn to get them hooked up so that at least if this happens again, we might have something we can give to the cops so they can arrest the mother fuckers who did this." Daryl said. He was seething at this point, but knew he needed to act like a professional.

"Ain't a problem boss but we should check with Glenn first so that I get the right thing." Axle said.

"Fine, let's go find him. And Axle…"

"Yeah boss?" He replied.

"Thanks for cleaning this shit up before she or anyone else saw it." Daryl told him, thankful that Axle had reacted so well to the situation.

Axle gave him a big grin, thrilled to know he had gained Daryl's approval "Ain't no problem…Glad you appreciated it."

…

Merle Dixon woke up sober again. It had been four days and he had to admit, he felt pretty good. Considering he was pushing fifty years old the number of times he woke up without a hangover, sick, or aching from a fight were few and far between. But maybe things were finally about to change for him. He felt it. Once Joe was paid off, he could start life anew, and after the feisty Latina he had met for coffee the night before, he now had a new purpose in his life.

When he had stopped by to extend the invitation to Riki and Daryl he had been shocked by Rosita's boldness. Women like her didn't look at men like him. But damn, she did and she had slipped him her number. Normally Merle had a swagger and a male bravado to him and would never let a woman call the shots, but this lady was different, not only did she command respect, he wanted to treat her like the lady that she was.

They met at a little café not far from the Center, and Merle was nervous. He couldn't ever remember being nervous when it came time to interact with the female sex, but when she showed up in a pair of jeans that hugged her curves, and a low cut red blouse and matching lipstick, he couldn't even remember his name. Hell, he even opened the door for her and pulled out her chair.

They eased into a conversation and for once, Merle listened to what someone else had to say. Rosita was thirty years old (way to go Merle…) and had grown up in Houston. She moved to Atlanta five years earlier to finish up her Masters Degree in Sociology at Emory University where she had received a full scholarship. She had been dating a Military officer from Fort Benning and apparently he had recently chosen a trip to Mexico to break up with her and informed her he was reconciling with his wife whom he had split with two years earlier. She admitted that it hurt, and she also informed Merle that as much as she was attracted to him, any chance of anything sexual was a ways away. She was honest and straightforward, and she mesmerized him.

Merle had informed her that he had quite the checkered past. He told her about his fight with Daryl, and how he realized that selling Daryl's most prized possession out from under him was the wake-up call he needed to try to get his life straight. He let Rosita know he had only been sober a few days, and that he struggled with hard core drug use. Sobriety wasn't something he could promise her, but he said it was his goal.

She told him she was willing to help him out. She knew about some outpatient treatment facilities that she could get him into. When it came to him getting a job, she said she might have something in mind, but she would have to talk to someone. Merle had a military background, and from what she could gather, he had at least received a GED and an honorable discharge. That worked in his favor and she was willing to help him if he was willing to help himself. He had agreed that he would try, and that was good enough for her. His honesty with her was refreshing, and at least he was aware of his faults.

The evening ended with Rosita giving him a chaste kiss on the cheek and permission for him to call her if he needed to talk. Merle Dixon acted the complete gentleman that night, and for the first time, he realized it felt pretty good to be deemed a decent human being. He wasn't holding his breath for this relationship to go anywhere, but Rosita made him feel like he had opportunities he had long forgotten about. If he didn't have this damn thing with Joe hanging over his head, he would feel pretty damn awesome.

…

Daryl and Axle had met with Glenn, and he had let them know what they needed to pick up to install security cameras. Daryl met with Riki and she agreed that installing camera's was a good idea (though Daryl didn't explain to her about the vandalism) and she gave Daryl the company credit card to pick up what was needed. Daryl sent Axle out on his own and then headed back to the maintenance room to work on some other plans.

Daryl was concentrating on the blue print of the sprinkler system when he heard someone enter the room. He looked up to see none other than Miss Sunshine, Beth enter the room.

"Hey Daryl…I was bored last night so I thought I would bake some cookies for you and Axle to share." She said with a bright smile on her face.

Daryl looked at her awkwardly. He wasn't sure how to react to his little gift of kindness. Was she sweet on him? He hoped not. There wasn't anything wrong with the girl, she was adorable and could sing like a songbird, but she was barely twenty- one, and that was territory Daryl didn't want to explore. Plus, he had eyes for Riki but he didn't want to share that information with anyone at the Center. He wasn't sure if Riki would want anyone to know either. So Daryl reached for the tin of cookies and gave her a polite nod.

"Thanks, we'll enjoy them." He said.

"No Problem Daryl. I guess I'll see you around." She said, smiling once again with a hint of sadness in her eyes. He couldn't pin point why, but it seemed like she knew something he didn't.

…

The previous night as Beth sat down to dinner with her parents she mentioned the new man that had taken on the role of managing Axle. Beth was the only one living at home these days and her daily discussions of what was going on at the Center was the high light of Hershel and Annette Greene's day.

"Beth you sound smitten with this new gentleman at work, do we know him?" Annette asked her daughter.

"No mama, it isn't anything like that. There is something familiar about him though, but I can't place my finger on it. His name is Daryl Dixon and I don't think he is from the Atlanta area originally. I think I heard Riki say he is from Chickamauga." Beth said suddenly realizing her mother had stopped eaten and dropped her fork. Tears were forming in her eyes and Beth could only muster a bewildered look at her mother.

Hershel then spoke "Annette…don't go there. We don't even know if it is the same man. That isn't the most uncommon name."

"Beth do you know anything else about this man?" Annette whispered.

"Not a whole lot momma. He's quiet and keeps to himself and I would even go so far as saying he is shy. Sort of like a wounded animal. I also know he has an older brother that Rosita had an instant crush on. I think the brother's name was something like Earl…no, it was Merle. He seems a lot different than Daryl…almost scary. Why are you asking?" Beth said.

Hershel looked at Annette and shook his head "No Annette, we have to leave all that mess back in your past."

"Momma, what is going on?" Beth pleaded.

Annette could barely catch her breath, but she finally was able to calm herself so she could speak. "You remember me telling you about my sister that passed away many years before you were born?"

"Yeah, Aunt Lois…you said I looked just like her." Beth replied to her mother, curious as to where this conversation was going.

"Well your Aunt Lois was eight years older than me and she had run off and eloped when she was sixteen. She and her husband, who was four years older than Lois, moved to Chickamauga and Lois had a son nine months later after getting married. They named him Merle. At first everything was fine and Lois was as happy as any young newly married mother could be, but her husband, Will, started drinking and soon he spiraled out of control. He would regularly beat Lois, and before long she was drinking as much as he was. Lois stopped visiting the family, and my parents wouldn't let me see her. They said it was too dangerous for me to be around Will." Annette said.

"So what are saying momma? Right now it sounds like Daryl might be my first cousin." Beth challenged.

"That's because he is. Merle too. As I got older I tried really hard to get in touch with Lois, but she wouldn't respond to my letters, and daddy still forbid me to go to Chickamauga to visit. He and my mother had been angry with Lois since the day she had eloped. They never made any effort to meet their grandchildren and just said that Lois had married the Devil, and now she was one of his minions as well. Your grandparents came from a very strict religious background, and had always fought against Lois's wild streak. The end result was I had a sister and two nephews that I never saw. Lois passed when I was twenty five and I married your brother Shawn's father about six months later." Annette informed her daughter, still fighting back tears.

"Why didn't you make an effort to see those boys Momma? They were without their mother and you were at an age you didn't need your parents permission or help to visit them." Beth said, a slightly angry tone in her voice. She was pissed that she had two cousins that she was just finding out about, and angry that no one had made an effort to help those boys.

"Will Dixon was a violent man, and he refused to let anyone from the family "taint" his boys. My daddy tried once to visit the boys so he could take them to Church right after Lois passed, but Will threatened them with a shotgun and forbid him from seeing the kids. Plus, at that time Merle was sixteen and from what we heard, he was following in his father's footsteps. Shawn was born shortly thereafter, and his daddy passed away soon after that. I was so busy being a single mother that I never had the time to follow up on the kids. Years passed, I married your daddy, and unfortunately, Lois and her boys became a distant memory." Annette confessed.

Hershel then spoke sternly "Beth, I need you to keep this to yourself. I don't want a man like Will Dixon, or his children around you. Those people aren't safe or sane."

Annette slammed her fist down on the table, something totally out of character for the soft-spoken woman "Hershel, you can't forbid her or me from speaking to those boys."

"First of all Annette, they aren't boys. By now they have got to be in their forties, and the oldest one may be pushing fifty. Second of all how do you think they will react knowing that not a single person in your family fought to get them out of their situation? It could lead to a violent reaction knowing they were forgotten." Hershel said in response.

"Daddy…they are family and you want us to turn our backs on them like everyone else has? Don't they deserve to know?" Beth pleaded.

"Beth, I can't tell you what to do, but I do believe that it is in your best interest to steer clear of the Dixons. At least give us some time to think on what to do." Hershel said in a soft tone.

"You know what, I'll be quiet about this for now, but you two should be ashamed of yourselves. Those men deserve to know they have a family…even if it was one that let them down. Momma, I love you more than anything, but you should have done more to at least make contact with them. God knows what type of horrors they grew up with at the hands of their daddy." Beth said in an angry tone.

"Beth…I was young, and I had just got married and was expecting your brother…I didn't have the means to care for them." Annette said, tears streaming down her face.

"You didn't have the means to write them letters, send them cards, or even make the occasional visit to Chickamauga? Maybe someone could have done something to get them away from their father…you saw what happened to Aunt Lois and I can only imagine how bad it was for those boys. No child deserves to be forgotten like that." Beth yelled as her heart broke knowing what Daryl and Merle must have gone through.

"Beth, that's enough. You don't get to talk to your momma like that. Keep this to yourself for now and we will come up with a plan to make it right." Hershel bellowed at his daughter.

Beth's face must have turned three shades of red, but she nodded in agreement with her father. "I'm sorry momma, it just hurts knowing that our family…my blood, had to suffer like they did. The least I can do is make Daryl feel welcomed at the Center. I'm gonna make him and Axle some cookies to enjoy tomorrow. Maybe we can have the Dixon's over for dinner one night…and maybe we can all become a family again." Beth said with both sadness and hope in her voice.

Annette responded "Hopefully we can…but at this point I am not even sure they would accept us. All we can do is pray about it." She said, and both Beth and Hershel agreed.

…

It was getting late in the afternoon and the heat was stifling. Even though it was early October, Atlanta was going through and Indian Summer and the temperature was close to ninety with high humidity. Daryl and Axle were both out in the back lot of the Center repairing the fence where it had been cut. It was only Daryl's second day on the job, but he already felt like the Center was part of him. Maybe it was because it was so deeply connected to Riki.

He was angry that someone had painted such horrible things about Riki on the wall. Yeah, he knew she had a past, but who didn't. Unfortunately for Riki when you grow up to become the wild child of the wealthiest man in Georgia, your private life becomes public. She didn't make the best decisions when she was younger, but that didn't mean she deserved to still pay for them now…ten years later.

"I'm gonna jump up on the roof and take a look. Rosita said they had some issues with leaks and I wanna see if I can patch up the weak spots or if we gotta get a whole new roof. Hopefully I can just do a patch job." Daryl told Axle.

"You want me to come up there with ya boss?" Axle asked.

"Nah…It won't take me long to figure out what we are dealing with." Daryl said as he grabbed a ladder and climbed up on top of the building. He surmised that there were just a few weak spots that he could patch up with the extra shingles stored in the shed on the back property.

"Yeah…I can fix this." Daryl said to Axle as he climbed down the ladder.

"You want me to grab the shingles and bring them over here so we can get started?" Axle asked.

"No, I got this. You have been busting your ass around here as it is. Why don't you do me a favor and go inside and take an inventory of the plumbing supplies while I do this. I've got the Fire and Sprinkler guys coming out this week and then next week we need to focus on the plumbing. The water pressure around here is lower than it should be and that has me concerned." Daryl told Axle.

"I can do that." Axle said to Daryl. Axle really had a lot of respect for Daryl, because quite honestly Daryl was the first person he had ever worked with that seemed to have respect for him. Axle never felt that confident in his own abilities, but Daryl seemed to have the confidence in him that he never did, and that made Axle hold his head a little higher and gave him a little extra spring in his step.

Daryl had been up on the roof close to an hour repairing the weak spots when he finally decided it was time to climb down and grab a drink of some much needed water. He was sweating and his back was aching, but he felt confident that the roof would hold through at least another twelve months. One advantage of growing up poor was you learned how to make things work as long as possible. A lack of financial resources forced you to learn how to make do with what you had.

Daryl was sitting down in the smoking area, enjoying a cigarette and gulping water. He was using muscles he hadn't used in a while, and his back and shoulders were beginning to ache. That being said, he felt satisfied in doing a good hard day's worth of work. His thoughts were disturbed when he heard raised voices coming from an open window, that he realized was Riki's office. He didn't want to eavesdrop, but Riki's tone had him alarmed. He also didn't recognize the second female voice he heard arguing with her.

"Look Mother, I don't know why you bothered to lower your standards and head down here to talk to me. There isn't really a lot to say about the matter. My Father is a prick and there is nothing you can do or say that is going to make me change my opinion of him." Riki screamed.

"Riki he is sorry for what he did. Honestly." Her mother Kim said in a begging tone.

"Sorry enough to apologize to me personally, or did he send you to do his bidding for him?" Riki bit back.

"You know how he is Riki…he's prideful. Why can't you understand that? Sometimes I wish you were more like Gareth." Kim said, realizing she had just made a mistake.

"Oh Really, now the truth comes out. You want me to be my father's clone? Well I'm not Mother…I'm my own person and I actually give a shit about other people, and I'm not going to step on anyone to meet my own personal achievements." Riki said.

"Riki…think about the family…that is what is most important." Kim pleaded.

"Oh is it? Is it family, or image you and Daddy dearest are worried about?" Riki challenged.

"Image is important Riki…I think you learned that the hard way. It's taken us years to rebuild what you destroyed in your early twenties. You were lucky that your father was so forgiving…now it's what I ask of you." Her mom said in an almost smug tone.

"Ha Ha Mom. Don't forget that Gareth was conceived by an affair Daddy had with our Nanny. You just turned a blind eye to that and accepted it."

"Riki, that was the past, and your father has spent years trying to make that back up to me. It wouldn't hurt you to do the same thing with Shane. He was such a nice man. In fact he came by the house last night…concerned about this man you have been spotted with recently."

Daryl's ears perked up when he heard Riki's mother mention him indirectly.

"Daryl is ten times the man that Shane ever wished he could be." Riki replied.

"Well I don't think that is necessarily true. He comes from a criminal family and he may just be using you to get to your money." Kim said.

Riki lost her mind at her mother's comment. She slammed her fist down on her desk while Daryl felt himself bristle at the obvious judgement Riki's family had already placed on him. Damnit this is why it could never work between the two of them. Her family would never allow it and eventually they would talk her into her senses. He could feel his heart fall as soon as 'Kim' spoke those words to her daughter. That was until he heard Riki answer back.

"You listen to me right now Mother. I have deep feelings for Daryl and I would give up every damn dime I have to be with him. He is caring and kind, and a genuine person. You know what happened with Shane…and Lori wasn't the only one he was fucking. I have more respect for myself than to put up with that fucking bullshit, and you should too. It sickens me to see how weak you are." Riki screamed.

"Do you always have to be so Vulgar Riki? I am not weak, but I am just smart enough to know that powerful men like your father need a little distraction every now and then. It's the price you pay to live the lifestyle we do, and you are a fool for not seeing that. And how can you say you feel so deeply about Daryl when you barely know him." Kim challenged.

"Because he has done more for me in the short period of time I've known him than you or anyone else in this family has done for me. He is good people and I'm tired of dealing with the fake bullshit that comes with being a Thornton." Riki replied.

"Well, I tried Riki. I love you, but I can tell there isn't going to be any dealing with you when you won't listen. Good Luck, but don't come crawling back to me for support when he breaks your heart and steals your money." Kim said as she grabbed her purse, kicked her chair back, stood up and left Riki's office, slamming the door behind her.

Riki was livid. How dare her mother of all people judge her like that? God she needed a cigarette. She grabbed her pack and went outside to find Daryl sitting down on one of the benches in the smoking area.

"I heard what you said." Daryl told her.

"Please don't hate me." Riki said, tears threatening to fall.

"Why would I hate you? You stood up for me. I can't say many people have ever done that. I reckon this means I won't get invited for Christmas Dinner at the Thornton Mansion." He joked.

"Don't worry about that Daryl. I'm done with them. All they do is cause me hurt, except for my Grandfather. He is the only one worth anything. Oh Yeah, and Rick too. He's a good man as well." Riki said.

"Did you really mean what you said about having deep feelings for me?" Daryl asked.

"I already told you that Daryl. I don't lie and I'm gonna spend every freaking moment I can showing that to you. We'll talk about it more tonight…I promise. Right now I gotta go back in and help Rosita. We've had tons of calls today from people wanting to volunteer time and companies wanting to make donations. Alexandria's ploy to get the Center closed down has backfired for now, and we are going to take all the help we can get while we have the chance. Talk about a silver lining…" Riki said.

Daryl reached out and took her hand and gave it a squeeze. He was by no means comfortable with Public displays of affection, but just that touch let her know all she needed to know about him. He cared for her too…he might struggle with human interaction, but he was attempting to try. That impressed the hell out of her, and she gave him a smile and a wink as she headed back into the building.

…

Riki had her hands full with all of the things she had picked up during the day for her trip in the morning. Daryl scooped most of it out of the back seat and told her to carry only her gown. She led them up the elevator to the penthouse and he placed all of her things on the kitchen table.

"I swear Daryl you are one of the nicest people I have ever met. I would have been lucky if Shane would have even opened the door for me." She said.

"Trust me, I ain't that prick." He told her. Before he could start another sentence, Riki grabbed onto his sturdy shoulders and pulled him into a kiss.

"I've been waiting all day to do that. I couldn't stop thinking about you." She confessed.

"Darling you gotta let me take a shower first. I'm a filthy mess." He admitted to her.

"No you're not, but I don't blame you for wanting to clean up. It was hot as fuck outside today and I know you were on the roof. I'm surprised you are even standing." She said.

"Hard work ain't gonna hurt me. It felt good to do something besides following Merle around all day." He told her.

"OK…I'm gonna start getting my stuff together and wait for dinner to be delivered." She told him.

"What are we having tonight?" He asked curiously.

"Cuban food." She told him, guessing he had never had it before.

"Sounds…interesting." He told her, confirming her suspicions.

…

Daryl came out of the shower dressed in an old worn pair of jeans and plain white T-shirt with the sleeves removed. Riki didn't think she could possibly ever grow tired of looking at those arms and shoulders, and she so desperately wanted to see what he kept hidden beneath that shirt. In all the time they had spent together she had not once seen him with his shirt off. She wondered if he was hiding something like a third nipple or something.

"I'm fucking beat." Daryl told her as he sat down at the kitchen table. Dinner had indeed arrived while he was showering and getting dressed.

"You know, the hot tub would do wonders on your sore muscles. We could put on some soft music, grab a couple of beers and soak in it for a bit." She told him.

Daryl looked like a deer caught in headlights. He didn't know what to say and he didn't want to run scared anymore. So with every bit of honesty he could muster he looked Riki dead in the eyes and finally told her something about himself. "Riki…I ain't comfortable with my shirt off in front of people, even Merle. When I was younger…my Daddy beat me bad, and well, I've got marks on my back that ain't ever gonna go away."

Riki sat there quietly pondering what Daryl just told her. Unfortunately, her silence freaked him out and he muttered to himself " I knew it, ain't no one as good as you want someone as damaged as me."

"Whoa…wait a minute Daryl. I was just waiting for you to finish and wrap my head around what you just told me. Part of me wants to jump up and wrap my arms around you and love those marks away, and then the other part of me wants to give you the respect you deserve. Daryl it breaks my heart to know that someone hurt you that horrifically, and I am fighting off the urge to cry for you. But I know you, and I don't think you would appreciate that. Just so you know, none of this changes a fucking thing regarding how I feel about you. It just proves to me how strong you are." She told him.

"I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions. I ain't never told no one before. It has a lot to do with why I ain't never had relationships. You can't be in a regular relationship with someone and not expect something like these scars to be revealed. I've always been ashamed of 'em. They just show how weak I was." He told her in a soft almost broken tone.

"Don't you dare say that Daryl Dixon. You survived abuse and turned yourself into an honorable man, instead of using it as an excuse for everything in your life. It's part of what makes you beautiful to me. Daryl, you aren't weak…you are a very strong man." She said in a loving voice.

"So you don't think any less of me because of it?" He asked again, making sure he heard her right.

"Daryl I think more of you if that is possible. I want to get to know you so badly…all of you. The good, the bad, and the ugly and I hope you want to get to know the real me too." She said, a little unsure of what he was gonna say.

"Deal." He said, giving her an almost smile.

"So what do you think of dinner?" She asked, putting the serious conversation to the side.

"Pretty good so far, but are those cooked bananas?" He asked, curious about the strange dessert she had laid out on the table.

"They are Plantains, and they are so freaking good, especially if you serve them with a scoop of ice cream. Trust me." She teased.

"Well you ain't let me down so far." He said. She got up from the table and pulled out two bowls and a half-gallon of vanilla ice cream. After she put the warm plantains in the bowl she heaped the ice cream on top and handed Daryl the bowl.

"Try it." She said.

He looked at her a bit hesitant, and then remembered he had eaten all sorts of woodland creatures and never thought twice about it. So he dug his spoon into the bowl and tried the exotic dessert. He wasn't disappointed. It was a different texture, but it was full of sweet flavor. It was fucking good as hell.

"Do ya like it?" She asked him.

He nodded as he began to shove it in his mouth. "Oh shit, I got brain freeze."

Riki started laughing, and before long Daryl was laughing with her. He loved how she made him feel. He didn't have to try to be anyone else around her, and she didn't have to be anyone else around him. They were comfortable with each other and though the feeling was new to Daryl, he was enjoying it.

"So, can I still talk you into getting into the hot tub with me? If you wanna keep your shirt on that is absolutely fine by me. You can let me see your marks when you are ready, and not a minute before." She said as she reached out and gave him a reassuring squeeze on his arm.

"Okay…and thanks" he said in a soft voice.

"Good deal. I'll go put on my swimsuit and meet you out there." She told him.

Daryl went into his room and put on the bathing suit he had purchased and decided he would feel better just keeping the T-shirt on. There would be a time and place for him to finally remove it in front of another person, but he wasn't feeling quite secure enough about himself to do that.

He met Riki in the hot tub and couldn't help but notice she was wearing a very nice fitting black and white criss-cross bikini. God she looked almost good enough to eat.

"How do you stay in such good shape?" He asked her.

"Luck I reckon, because I hate exercise and I love to eat. I'm active and there are times I forget to eat, so I reckon it all works out in the end. Plus, my boobs have had a little bit of surgical help." She admitted.

"You had a boob job?" He blurted out.

"Yeah, I might be thirty five, but these girls are ten." She joked.

"Well they look mighty fine." Daryl said without thinking.

"Thank you very much Mr. Dixon. Maybe one day you can meet them up close and personal." She teased. Daryl felt his cock twitch when she made the comment, and he knew the bathing suit wasn't going to hide a damn thing.

After a couple of beers and listening to the relaxing music, Riki moved up against Daryl's body and he wrapped his arm around her. It didn't take much after that to lead to an intense make out session. There bathing suits stayed on, but hands wandered and Daryl got to feel Riki's "girls", eliciting a moan from her and an out of control erection on his part. She slid herself so she was sitting on his lap, grinding against him and he was pretty sure he was going to come right there and then.

Daryl could hardly breathe from being so aroused and he finally pulled back gently and broke their kiss. "Girl, I ain't gonna be able to hold on much longer if you keep squirming around on my lap like that."

"I'm sorry Daryl, I just got carried away. We need to slow it down. Don't be offended, but I want you to know that I won't be sleeping with you right away. I want it to be special and planned, and I want to know you better before we make that final commitment to each other." She told him.

Daryl nodded in agreement. "I like you a lot girl and I'm willing to do whatever I can to make you happy. If you wanna wait, that's fine with me. Can't say it's gonna be easy, but I'm willing to do it."

She gave him a soft kiss, pulling his bottom lip gently between her teeth and then rested her forehead on his. "Thank you Daryl. You don't know what that means to me."

He pulled her in close and let her rest with her head on his shoulder. Just being here like this with her lit a fire in his belly he had never enjoyed before. He was hers already, and he didn't care.

…

After a little while more in the hot tub they headed back into the house so she could finish packing. Daryl took another quick, but very cold shower to get his body under control, then threw on a pair of sweat pants and another shirt that had sleeves. He went out to the balcony to smoke a cigarette while Riki finished packing. He was going to miss her terribly.

It was around ten when she finally finished and she sat down on the couch with him so they could watch the news. She was wearing a cute little pajama set, but for once she was completely covered up.

"I have to get up at three-thirty so I have time to get dressed and ready to go. We have the breakfast leftovers to eat in the morning. Are you sure you want to take me? I can either take the Navigator and park, or call a cab."

"I want to take ya. I want to spend all the time I can with you." He said to her.

"I'll call you while I'm gone, and I'll give you all the details of which movie stars I will see. Dr. Jamison is coming by tomorrow night to give Oscar and Lucky a check up, and you will need to be here to let her in. I hope that is OK." She said hesitantly.

"It's fine. Do I need to pay her?" He asked.

"Nope. She will be me. I am going to miss you so much Daryl." She admitted.

"Same here." He told her.

"Look, my speech is going to be about domestic violence and child abuse, will that bother you?" She asked.

"It won't, I'll be proud to hear what you are gonna say. This is a big deal and my girl is going to be the guest of honor. Wish I could be there in person to hear ya speak." He admitted.

"Next time you can and will be. We'll get you a tux and everything. I bet you will look so damn good it will make every woman in America melt. Ovaries will burst at how gorgeous you are." She said teasing again.

"Don't think that will happen, but thanks for thinking so." He told her.

"Will you lay with me tonight? No funny business, but I just wanna feel your body against mine. It felt so good the other night that I think I was spoiled. I missed you last night to the point I almost came into your room and got in bed with you." She confessed to him.

"You should of, I like having you close. I will do anything you want Riki to make you happy. I can't give you the things financially that others can, but I can at least give you all of me. Does that sound fucking stupid?" He asked, hesitant to hear her answer.

"No Daryl, it doesn't sound stupid, it sounds like a dream." She said as she stood up and turned off the TV and led him to her room with Oscar and Lucky following close behind them.

 **Please Please Please tell me what you think...I need words of encouragement and to know people are reading. I promise to give you a nice shout out if you leave me a review.**

 **I am on pins and needles about Ep 16 of this season...Please let Daryl live...that's all I'm saying. My heart will break if he doesn't...**

 **Love Ya'll and hope you enjoy. Any suggestions are welcome. I like that Merle is trying to redeem himself, and I like the idea of pairing him with Rosita. They would have been awesome together.**

 **Take Care and hugs to you all-**

 **Missy**

 **XXOO**


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